Bioengineered nasal septum implant with 3D-printed silicone and chondrocyte-seeded fibrin hydrogel

Nasal septum reconstruction remains a significant challenge when native cartilage is deficient due to trauma, congenital defects or oncological resection. Although autologous cartilage grafts remain the gold standard, their use is limited by donor site morbidity and tissue availability. Synthetic implants, while readily available, present rejection, infection and extrusion issues, which complicate their use in nasal reconstruction. Here, we present a bioengineered alternative, that is a hybrid nasal septum implant consisting of a 3D-printed medical-grade silicone scaffold combined with fibrin hydrogels seeded with human nasal chondrocytes (HNCs). HNCs cultured within the fibrin-silicone constructs under chondrogenic conditions (with BMP-2, insulin and triiodothyronine) exhibited robust re-differentiation, evidenced by an upregulated expression of cartilage-specific genes (COL2A1, COL9A1, ACAN) and matrix deposition (type II collagen). Subcutaneous implantation in immunodeficient mice confirmed the in vivo stability of the constructs, with preservation of the cartilaginous matrix. A full-scale implant was also fabricated and matured in vitro, demonstrating extracellular matrix production. Surgical handling in a human cadaver showed optimal anatomical fit and implant resilience. Our findings demonstrate that the combination of 3D-printed silicone scaffolds with fibrin-HNC matrices constitutes hybrid nasal septum implants, advancing toward clinically translatable nasal reconstruction.