Three-dimensional direct cell bioprinting for tissue engineering.
Bioprinting is a relatively new technology where living cells with or without biomaterials are printed layer-by-layer in order to create three-dimensional (3D) living structures. In this article, novel bioprinting methodologies are developed to fabricate 3D biological structures directly from computer models using live multicellular aggregates. Multicellular aggregates made out of at least two cell types from fibroblast, endothelial and smooth muscle cells are prepared and optimized. A novel bioprinting approach is proposed in order to continuously extrude cylindrical multicellular aggregates through the bioprinter's glass microcapillaries. The multicellular aggregates are first aspirated into a capillary and then compressed to form a continuous cylindrical multicellular bioink. To overcome surface tension-driven droplet formation, the required compression ratio is calculated. Based on the developed bioprinting strategies, multicellular aggregates and their support structures are bioprinted to form 3D tissue constructs with predefined shapes. The effect of the bioprinting process was examined for fusion, cell viability at different compression ratios, and f-actin cytoskeletal organization. The results show that the bioprinted 3D constructs fuse rapidly and have high cell viability after printing. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 2530-2544, 2017.
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey.|3D Bioprinting Lab, Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, Istanbul, Turkey.
Saime Burce
SB
Ozler
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey.|3D Bioprinting Lab, Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, Istanbul, Turkey.
Ezgi
E
Bakirci
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey.|3D Bioprinting Lab, Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, Istanbul, Turkey.
Can
C
Kucukgul
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey.|3D Bioprinting Lab, Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, Istanbul, Turkey.
Bahattin
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9073-8516
B
Koc
D000818:Animals; D062028:Bioprinting / Q000379:methods*; D002470:Cell Survival; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
3D tissue constructs; CAD modeling; bioprinting; multicellular aggregates; scaffold-free tissue engineering