title: Laser printing of skin cells and human stem cells.
abstract: Laser printing based on laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a new biofabrication technique for the arrangement of biological materials or living cells in well-defined patterns. In the current study, skin cell lines (fibroblasts/keratinocytes) and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) were chosen for laser printing experiments due to their high potential in regeneration of human skin and new application possibilities of stem cell therapy. To evaluate the influence of LIFT on the cells, their survival rate, their proliferation and apoptotic activity, and the DNA damages and modifications of their cell surface markers were assessed and statistically evaluated over several days. The cells survived the transfer procedure with a rate of 98%  +/- 1% standard error of the mean (skin cells) and 90%  +/- 10% (hMSC), respectively. All used cell types maintain their ability to proliferate after LIFT. Further, skin cells and hMSC did not show an increase of apoptosis or DNA fragmentation. In addition, the hMSC keep their phenotype as proven by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. This study demonstrates LIFT as a suitable technique for unharmed computer-controlled positioning of different cell types and a promising tool for future applications in the ex vivo generation of tissue replacements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nanotechnology, Laser Zentrum Hannover e V, Hannover, Germany. l.koch@lzh.de
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sorg
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gruene
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schlie
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaebel
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Polchow
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reimers
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stoelting
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinhoff
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chichkov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002469:Cell Separation; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*