3D printed scaffold

The rapid evolution of healthcare and technology has given rise to advancements in the fields of bioprinting, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. 3D bioprinting has emerged as an alternative to traditional practices by offering the potential to create functional tissues. Traditional tissue engineering has faced challenges due to irregular cell distribution on scaffolds, limited cell density, and the difficulty of manufacturing patient-specific tissues, which 3D bioprinting overcomes through layer-by-layer fabrication...

During the process of wound healing, the stimulation of inflammatory factors often leads to abnormal proliferation of blood vessels and collagen, ultimately resulting in scar formation. To address this challenge, we fabricate a novel dermal extracellular matrix (DECM) hydrogel scaffold loaded with ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) using 3D printing technology. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are introduced into the system to encase the Rg3 to control its release rate and enhance its bioavailability. We systematically evaluate the biological, physicochemical, and wound healing properties of this scaffold...

Articular cartilage defects are a global challenge, causing substantial disability. Repairing large defects is problematic, often exceeding cartilage's self-healing capacity and damaging bone structures. To tackle this problem, we develop a scaffold-mediated therapeutic ion delivery system. These scaffolds are constructed from poly(ε-caprolactone) and strontium (Sr)-doped bioactive nanoglasses (SrBGn), creating a unique hierarchical structure featuring macro-pores from 3D printing, micro-pores, and nano-topologies due to SrBGn integration...

Three-dimensional (3D) structures are actually the state-of-the-art technique to create porous scaffolds for tissue engineering. Since regeneration in cartilage tissue is limited due to intrinsic cellular properties this study aims to develop and characterize three-dimensional porous scaffolds of poly (L-co-D, L lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate), PLDLA-TMC, obtained by 3D fiber deposition technique. The PLDLA-TMC terpolymer scaffolds (70:30), were obtained and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, compression mechanical testing and study on in vitro degradation, which showed its amorphous characteristics, cylindrical geometry, and interconnected pores...

With the graying of the world's population, the morbidity of age-related chronic degenerative bone diseases, such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, is increasing yearly, leading to an increased risk of bone defects, while current treatment methods face many problems, such as shortage of grafts and an incomplete repair. Therefore, bone tissue engineering offers an alternative solution for regenerating and repairing bone tissues by constructing bioactive scaffolds with porous structures that provide mechanical support to damaged bone tissue while promoting angiogenesis and cell adhesion, proliferation, and activity...

In this study, we developed polydopamine (PDA)-functionalized alginate dialdehyde-gelatine (ADA-GEL) scaffolds for subchondral bone regeneration. These polymeric scaffolds were then coated with β-Lactoglobulin (β-LG) at concentrations of 1 mg/ml and 2 mg/ml. Morphological analysis indicated a homogeneous coating of the β-LG layer on the surface of network-like scaffolds. The β-LG-coated scaffolds exhibited improved swelling capacity as a function of the β-LG concentration. Compared to ADA-GEL/PDA scaffolds, the β-LG-coated scaffolds demonstrated delayed degradation and enhanced biomineralization...

Bone has the capacity to regenerate itself for relatively small defects; however, this regenerative capacity is diminished in critical-size bone defects. The development of synthetic materials has risen as a distinct strategy to address this challenge. Effective synthetic materials to have emerged in recent years are bioceramic implants, which are biocompatible and highly bioactive. Yet nothing suitable for the repair of large bone defects has made the transition from laboratory to clinic. The clinical success of bioceramics has been shown to depend not only on the scaffold's intrinsic material properties but also on its internal porous geometry...

When skin is damaged or affected by diseases, it often undergoes irreversible scar formation, leading to aesthetic concerns and psychological distress for patients. In cases of extensive skin defects, the patient's life can be severely compromised. In recent years, 3D printing technology has emerged as a groundbreaking approach to skin tissue engineering, offering promising solutions to various skin-related conditions. 3D bioprinting technology enables the precise fabrication of structures by programming the spatial arrangement of cells within the skin tissue and subsequently printing skin replacements either in a 3D bioprinter or directly at the site of the defect...

Developing a gradient porous scaffold similar to bone structure is gaining increasing attention in bone tissue engineering. The GelMA/HAP hydrogel has demonstrated potential in bone repair. Although 3D printing can build GelMA/HAP with porous structure, fabricating porous GelMA/HAP with gradient porosity and pore size in one step remains challenging. In this paper, a gradient porous structure with controllable pore size, based on gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and hydxroxyapatite (HAP), was engineered and printed using stereolithography...

BACKGROUND: Bioresorbable patient-specific additive-manufactured bone grafts, meshes, and plates are emerging as a promising alternative that can overcome the challenges associated with conventional off-the-shelf implants. The fabrication of patient-specific implants (PSIs) directly at the point-of-care (POC), such as hospitals, clinics, and surgical centers, allows for more flexible, faster, and more efficient processes, reducing the need for outsourcing to external manufacturers. We want to emphasize the potential advantages of producing bioresorbable polymer implants for cranio-maxillofacial surgery at the POC by highlighting its surgical applications, benefits, and limitations...

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a transformative technology for tissue engineering, enabling the production of structures that closely emulate the intricate architecture and mechanical properties of native biological tissues. However, the fabrication of complex microstructures with high accuracy using biocompatible, degradable thermoplastic elastomers poses significant technical obstacles. This is primarily due to the inherent soft-matter nature of such materials, which complicates real-time control of micro-squeezing, resulting in low fidelity or even failure...

To successfully engineer large-sized tissues, establishing vascular structures is essential for providing oxygen, nutrients, growth factors and cells to prevent necrosis at the core of the tissue. The diameter scale of the biofabricated vasculatures should range from 100 to 1,000 µm to support the mm-size tissue while being controllably aligned and spaced within the diffusion limit of oxygen. In this review, insights regarding biofabrication considerations and techniques for engineered blood vessels will be presented...

Despite recent advances in the development of scaffold-based three-dimensional (3D) cell models, challenges persist in imaging and monitoring cell behavior within these complex structures due to their heterogeneous cell distribution and geometries. Incorporating sensors into 3D scaffolds provides a potential solution for real-time, in situ sensing and imaging of biological processes such as cell growth and disease development. We introduce a 3D printed hydrogel-based scaffold capable of supporting both surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensing and imaging of 3D breast cancer cell models...

Mandibular defect repair has always been a clinical challenge, facing technical bottleneck. The new materials directly affect technological breakthroughs in mandibular defect repair field. Our aim is to fabricate a scaffold of advanced biomaterials for repairing of small mandibular defect. Therefore, a novel dual-channel scaffold consisting of silk fibroin/collagen type-I/hydroxyapatite (SCH) and polycaprolactone/hydroxyapatite (PCL/HA) was fabricated by cryogenic 3D printing technology with double nozzles...

Tissue engineering involves implanting grafts into damaged tissue sites to guide and stimulate the formation of new tissue, which is an important strategy in the field of tissue defect treatment. Scaffolds prepared in vitro meet this requirement and are able to provide a biochemical microenvironment for cell growth, adhesion, and tissue formation. Scaffolds made of piezoelectric materials can apply electrical stimulation to the tissue without an external power source, speeding up the tissue repair process. Among piezoelectric polymers, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers have the largest piezoelectric coefficients and are widely used in biomedical fields, including implanted sensors, drug delivery, and tissue repair...

In this study, we propose a spatially patterned 3D-printed nanohydroxyapatite (nHA)/beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)/collagen composite scaffold incorporating human dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hDP-MSCs) for bone regeneration in critical-sized defects. We investigated angiogenesis and osteogenesis in a rabbit critical-sized mandibular defect model treated with this engineered construct. The critical and synergistic role of collagen coating and incorporation of stem cells in the regeneration process was confirmed by including a cell-free uncoated 3D-printed nHA/β-TCP scaffold, a stem cell-loaded 3D-printed nHA/β-TCP scaffold, and a cell-free collagen-coated 3D-printed nHA/β-TCP scaffold in the experimental design, in addition to an empty defect...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Peripheral neural regeneration is an interesting and challenging field. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions of neural-like PC12 cells and Poly-D-Lysine (PDL)-coated 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with different inner diameters of half tubular array (HTA) (0, 200, 300, and 400 μm), respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used the fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique with 3D-printing to fabricate the thermoplastic polymer...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: 3D-printed bone tissue engineering is becoming recognized as a key approach in dentistry for creating customized bone regeneration treatments fitting patients bone defects requirements. 3D bioprinting offers an innovative method to fabricate detailed 3D structures, closely emulating the native bone micro-environment and better bone regeneration. This study aimed to develop an 3D-bioprintable scaffold using a combination of alginate and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) with the Cellink® BioX printer, aiming to advance the field of tissue engineering...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this work was to optimise printable polycaprolactone (PCL)/β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) biomaterials with high percentages of β-TCP endowed with balanced mechanical characteristics to resemble human cancellous bone, presumably improving osteogenesis. METHODS: PCL/β-TCP scaffolds were obtained from customised filaments for fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing with increasing amounts of β-TCP. Samples mechanical features, surface topography and wettability were evaluated as well as cytocompatibility assays, cell adhesion and differentiation...

Critical-sized mandibular bone defects, arising from e.g. resections after tumor surgeries, are currently treated with autogenous bone grafts. This treatment is considered very invasive and is associated with limitations such as morbidity, and graft resorption. Tissue engineering approaches propose to use 3D scaffolds that combine structural features, biomaterial properties, cells and biomolecules to create biomimetic constructs. However, mimicking the complex anatomy and composition of the mandible poses a challenge in scaffold design...