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Hyaluronic Acid-Based Bioink for Anisotropic Neural Tissue Cryobioprinting.
Andrea Andolfi1,2, Ling Cai1, María Valeria González Martínez1
1Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing
|December 26, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a novel cryobioink using vertical cryobioprinting to create aligned scaffolds for neural and muscle cells. This innovation supports cell organization, crucial for modeling neuromuscular junctions and advancing neural regeneration research.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Cellular organization is critical for nerve fiber and neuromuscular junction function.
- Existing tissue models often lack the necessary anisotropic structure for accurate neural and muscle cell alignment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a cryobioink and fabrication method for creating anisotropic scaffolds supporting aligned neural and muscle cells.
- To establish a biomimetic model for studying neuromuscular junctions and related diseases.
Main Methods:
- Vertical cryobioprinting with ice-templating to create aligned microchannels.
- Formulation of a cryobioink integrating hyaluronic acid-methacrylate (HAMA), gelatin methacryloyl, and melezitose.
- Optimization of HAMA concentration for enhanced neural cell viability and alignment.
Main Results:
- The cryobioink preserved cell viability during low-temperature cryobioprinting processes.
- Fabricated scaffolds exhibited aligned microchannels that successfully guided neural and muscle cell alignment.
- Anisotropic scaffolds with distinct neural and muscle cell sections were successfully constructed, modeling neuromuscular junctions.
Conclusions:
- The developed cryobioink and cryobioprinting technique enable the fabrication of anisotropic scaffolds for neural and muscle tissue engineering.
- This platform serves as a versatile model for investigating nerve fibers, neuromuscular dysfunctions, and advancing neural regeneration strategies.
