title: Skin Bioprinting: Impending Reality or Fantasy?
abstract: Bioprinting provides a fully automated and advanced platform that facilitates the simultaneous and highly specific deposition of multiple types of skin cells and biomaterials, a process that is lacking in conventional skin tissue-engineering approaches. Here, we provide a realistic, current overview of skin bioprinting, distinguishing facts from myths. We present an in-depth analysis of both current skin bioprinting works and the cellular and matrix components of native human skin. We also highlight current limitations and achievements, followed by design considerations and a future outlook for skin bioprinting. The potential of bioprinting with converging opportunities in biology, material, and computational design will eventually facilitate the fabrication of improved tissue-engineered (TE) skin constructs, making bioprinting skin an impending reality.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP), School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore; Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 71 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 638075, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wei Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP), School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP), School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore. Electronic address: wyyeong@ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Wai Yee
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Yeong
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 71 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 638075, Singapore.
authors.forename: May Win
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Naing
mesh_terms: D062028:Bioprinting; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
keywords: 3D printing; additive manufacturing; bioprinting; rapid prototyping; skin tissue engineering.