Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Cathal D. O'Connell, Olivia Bridges, Cameron Everett, Natasha Antill-O'Brien, Carmine Onofrillo, Claudia Di Bella
Summary: MEW is a process capable of producing organized patterns of micrometer-scale polymer fibers, but introducing 3D structures complicates the process. This study investigates how simple 3D objects distort MEW patterns and assesses the influence of various parameters on fiber deflection. The authors propose a model and optimization algorithm to pre-emptively correct deviations caused by the presence of 3D objects, allowing for well-defined MEW patterns to be created in their vicinity.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Paulina Nunez Bernal, Manon Bouwmeester, Jorge Madrid-Wolff, Marc Falandt, Sammy Florczak, Nuria Gines Rodriguez, Yang Li, Gabriel Groessbacher, Roos-Anne Samsom, Monique van Wolferen, Luc J. W. van der Laan, Paul Delrot, Damien Loterie, Jos Malda, Christophe Moser, Bart Spee, Riccardo Levato
Summary: Organ- and tissue-level biological functions are closely related to microscale cell-cell interactions and tissue architecture. Biofabrication and organoid technologies have the potential to engineer multi-scale living constructs. This study introduces a volumetric bioprinting technique that captures key liver functions. The bioprinting process shapes organoid-laden gelatin hydrogels into complex 3D structures, allowing for rapid printing. Optically tuned bioresins and low stiffness gelatins enhance the viability and metabolism of the bioprinted constructs. This technology opens up new possibilities for regenerative medicine and personalized drug testing.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Marc Falandt, Paulina Nunez Bernal, Oksana Dudaryeva, Sammy Florczak, Gabriel Grossbacher, Matthias Schweiger, Alessia Longoni, Coralie Greant, Marisa Assuncao, Olaf Nijssen, Sandra van Vlierberghe, Jos Malda, Tina Vermonden, Riccardo Levato
Summary: This study presents a new approach using light-based volumetric printing to spatially pattern any biomolecule of interest on custom-designed hydrogels. By developing a gelatin norbornene resin with tunable mechanical properties, the resin can be quickly printed at high resolution. Thiol-ene click chemistry allows for on-demand photografting of thiolated compounds postprinting, enabling the precise biofunctionalization and modification of (bio)printed constructs to guide cell behavior and create bioactive cue gradients. This technology also opens possibilities for 4D printing to mimic the dynamic changes in morphogen presentation in biological tissues.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Matthias X. T. Santschi, Stephanie Huber, Jan Bujalka, Nouara Imhof, Michael Leunig, Stephen J. Ferguson
Summary: This study characterized the structure and tensile mechanical properties of melt-electrowritten polycaprolactone scaffolds and assessed their compatibility with labrum cells. The scaffolds were able to support primary labrum cell growth, with optimized fiber spacing and structure improving cell distribution and growth, although further development is needed to enhance both mechanical and biological compatibility.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Max von Witzleben, Thomas Stoppe, Alina Zeinalova, Zhaoyu Chen, Tilman Ahlfeld, Matthias Bornitz, Anne Bernhardt, Marcus Neudert, Michael Gelinsky
Summary: Three additive manufacturing techniques were combined to develop a mimicry of the tympanic membrane to address large perforations caused by chronic otitis media. The mimicry exhibited similar mechanical and acoustic properties as the eardrum, and optimized process parameters allowed for reasonable microfiber arrangements. In vitro studies showed high biocompatibility and cell growth orientation similar to the original collagen fiber orientation of the tympanic membrane. Overall, this combined approach offers a suitable alternative to autologous materials for the treatment of chronic otitis media.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Matthias Ryma, Tina Tylek, Julia Liebscher, Carina Blum, Robin Fernandez, Christoph Bohm, Wolfgang Kastenmuller, Georg Gasteiger, Jurgen Groll
Summary: This study demonstrates that culturing human-monocyte-derived macrophages on specific types of collagen fibers can induce strong prohealing polarization, suggesting the importance of topographical structures in cellular behavior. Additionally, the use of melt electrofibrillation strategy can produce biomimetic nanofiber bundles with a structural similarity to native collagen I.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Emily I. Liu, Elizabeth Footner, Anita Quigley, Chris Baker, Peter Foley, Elena Pirogova, Robert M. I. Kapsa, Cathal D. O'Connell
Summary: A novel method is demonstrated to create perfusable channels with small diameters within cell-laden hydrogel matrices, by encapsulating polycaprolactone fibers printed using melt-electrowriting in hydrogels and then physically removing them. The channels produced have circular cross-sections and can be formed in various patterns and densities, matching the average capillary density in the human body. This technique shows promising potential for applications such as in vitro tissue models and hydrogel microfluidics.
MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Abdul Moqeet Hai, Zhilian Yue, Stephen Beirne, Gordon Wallace
Summary: Electrowriting combines 3D printing and electrospinning to produce complex structures with submicron resolutions. This study demonstrates the compatibility of water-based silk fibroin ink with electrowriting and explores the optimization of ink composition and process parameters. The electrowriting of hydrophilic silk fibroin has the potential to create material structures with biological properties similar to natural systems.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Carlotta Mondadori, Amit Chandrakar, Silvia Lopa, Paul Wieringa, Giuseppe Talo, Silvia Perego, Giovanni Lombardi, Alessandra Colombini, Matteo Moretti, Lorenzo Moroni
Summary: The study investigated the ability of scaffold architecture to modulate macrophage polarization. The rhombus architecture was found to promote the release of certain cytokines by M2a macrophages, which may have a positive impact on the healing process.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Frederik Wulle, Oliver Gorke, Sarah Schmidt, Maximilian Nistler, Gunter E. Tover, Oliver Riedel, Alexanser Verl, Achim Weber, Alexanser Southan
Summary: This paper introduces the potential and advantages of multi-axis 3D printing of hydrogels, and demonstrates through experiments the relative flexibility and water absorbency of 3D printed hydrogels compared to conventional molded hydrogels. The research also highlights related research questions, such as cross-linking chemistry and formulation of hydrogel inks.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Juliane C. Kade, Paul F. Otto, Robert Luxenhofer, Paul D. Dalton
Summary: Research has shown that using a heated collector can improve the processing of PVDF fibers and allow for printing of more layers. At higher temperatures and more layers, an interesting phenomenon occurs where the intersection points of the fibers coalesce into periodic spheres.
POLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Arwa Daghrery, Isaac J. de Souza Araujo, Miguel Castilho, Jos Malda, Marco C. Bottino
Summary: For almost three decades, tissue engineering strategies have been used to create effective therapies for dental, oral, and craniofacial regenerative medicine by treating permanent deformities caused by debilitating health conditions. Additive manufacturing techniques, such as melt electrowriting (MEW), enable the creation of personalized scaffolds that can replicate native tissue characteristics using 3D printing technology. Recent advancements have shown that combining MEW with other biofabrication techniques can overcome some limitations and offer promising opportunities for tissue regeneration.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Andrew C. Daly
Summary: Granular hydrogels formed by densely packed microgels are promising materials for bioprinting due to their extrudability, porosity, and modularity. However, optimizing these materials is challenging due to the multidimensional parameter space involved in their design. This review provides an overview of fabrication methods for granular hydrogels and examines how important design inputs can influence material properties and cellular responses. It also discusses recent applications of granular design principles in bioink engineering and potential future directions for advancing the design of granular hydrogels for bioprinting.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Elham Davoodi, Hossein Montazerian, Masoud Zhianmanesh, Reza Abbasgholizadeh, Reihaneh Haghniaz, Avijit Baidya, Homeyra Pourmohammadali, Nasim Annabi, Paul S. Weiss, Ehsan Toyserkani, Ali Khademhosseini
Summary: The use of affordable extrusion 3D printed plastic templates allows for the precise patterning of cell-laden hydrogels, resulting in hydrogel scaffolds with complex interconnected pathways. In vivo studies show that these constructs have superior cell ingrowth capabilities, facilitating efficient cellular activities.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jesus M. Rodriguez-Rego, Laura Mendoza-Cerezo, Antonio Macias-Garcia, Juan P. Carrasco-Amador, Alfonso C. Marcos-Romero
Summary: Currently, there is a need for a fast, simple, reliable, and inexpensive method for characterizing and comparing the printability of different hydrogels in bioprinting. This study proposes a methodology that analyzes cell viability, molecular cohesion, gelation state, and printing precision to determine the printability of hydrogels loaded with cells. The data obtained from this methodology can be used to compare different hydrogels or concentrations for bioprinting studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOPRINTING
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Leanne de Silva, Paulina N. Bernal, A. J. W. Rosenberg, Jos Malda, Riccardo Levato, Debby Gawlitta
Summary: The development of tissue engineering strategies for treatment of large bone defects is crucial, and creating a vascular network is vital for tissue engineered bone constructs.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bram G. Soliman, Alessia Longoni, Mian Wang, Wanlu Li, Paulina N. Bernal, Alessandro Cianciosi, Gabriella C. J. Lindberg, Jos Malda, Juergen Groll, Tomasz Jungst, Riccardo Levato, Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina, Tim B. F. Woodfield, Yu Shrike Zhang, Khoon S. Lim
Summary: Sacrificial printing involves using 3D-printed sacrificial ink to create open-channels in hydrogel constructs. Traditional sacrificial inks lack the ability to mimic tissue development dynamics. To overcome this, a new class of sacrificial inks was developed with tailorable and programmable delayed dissolution profiles. These inks showed compatibility with various biofabrication technologies and allowed precise control over the introduction of architectural features into cell-laden hydrogel constructs.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Alessandro Cianciosi, Jonas Simon, Michael Bartolf-Kopp, Heinrich Grausgruber, Tim R. Dargaville, Aurelien Forget, Jurgen Groll, Tomasz Jungst, Marco Beaumont
Summary: In this study, a new biomaterial ink for direct ink writing was developed, allowing the creation of 3D structures with tailorable functional and mechanical gradients. The ink formulation consisted of multifunctional cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), allyl-functionalized gelatin, and polyethylene glycol dithiol. Through additive manufacturing, mechanical and functional gradients were successfully fabricated, demonstrating the potential for printing intricate multigradient structures resembling the complex organization seen in living tissues.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Madison Jade Ainsworth, Nino Chirico, Mylene de Ruijter, Andrei Hrynevich, Inge Dokter, Joost P. G. Sluijter, Jos Malda, Alain van Mil, Miguel Castilho
Summary: In order to develop thick engineered cardiac tissue construct with a pre-vascularization pathway, a combination of extrusion-based bioprinting and melt electrowriting techniques was investigated. Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) was used as a base hydrogel and collagen, Matrigel, and fibrinogen were utilized as interpenetrating polymers to support myocardial functionality. An anatomically inspired vascular pathway was implemented in a dual extrusion-based bioprinting setup. The optimized bioinks effectively filled the microfiber mesh and maintained cell viability, and distinct cell populations were visualized in their respective patterns up to D14.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Angelique Van Ombergen, Franziska Chalupa-Gantner, Parth Chansoria, Bianca Maria Colosimo, Marco Costantini, Marco Domingos, Alexandre Dufour, Carmelo De Maria, Juergen Groll, Tomasz Jungst, Riccardo Levato, Jos Malda, Alessandro Margarita, Christophe Marquette, Aleksandr Ovsianikov, Emma Petiot, Sophia Read, Leonardo Surdo, Wojciech Swieszkowski, Giovanni Vozzi, Johannes Windisch, Marcy Zenobi-Wong, Michael Gelinsky
Summary: 3D bioprinting has made significant progress in recent years, allowing for the creation of both simple and complex tissue models. The international space agencies recognize the potential of this technology for manufacturing cell and tissue models for space research, particularly in studying the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on human tissues. Additionally, bioprinting can produce tissue grafts for clinical applications, which can support medical treatment for astronauts in long-term space missions. The article discusses the opportunities and challenges of using bioprinters in space, particularly in microgravity. While certain steps may be challenging in microgravity, such as handling liquids, this environment can also help overcome issues like cell sedimentation in low-viscosity bioinks. The article hopes to inspire more researchers to explore this field, especially with the availability of bioprinting opportunities at the International Space Station (ISS) in the near future.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Marc Falandt, Paulina Nunez Bernal, Oksana Dudaryeva, Sammy Florczak, Gabriel Grossbacher, Matthias Schweiger, Alessia Longoni, Coralie Greant, Marisa Assuncao, Olaf Nijssen, Sandra van Vlierberghe, Jos Malda, Tina Vermonden, Riccardo Levato
Summary: This study presents a new approach using light-based volumetric printing to spatially pattern any biomolecule of interest on custom-designed hydrogels. By developing a gelatin norbornene resin with tunable mechanical properties, the resin can be quickly printed at high resolution. Thiol-ene click chemistry allows for on-demand photografting of thiolated compounds postprinting, enabling the precise biofunctionalization and modification of (bio)printed constructs to guide cell behavior and create bioactive cue gradients. This technology also opens possibilities for 4D printing to mimic the dynamic changes in morphogen presentation in biological tissues.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Eng Kuan Moo, Mohammadhossein Ebrahimi, Andrei Hrynevich, Mylene de Ruijter, Miguel Castilho, Jos Malda, Rami K. Korhonen
Summary: The melt-electrowriting (MEW) technique allows the printing of structured fibrous mesh with small fiber diameter, which enhances the mechanical stiffness of soft hydrogels. The reinforcing mechanism of MEW meshes is not well understood, but it may involve load-induced fluid pressurization. In this study, the reinforcing effect of MEW meshes in different hydrogels was examined, and it was found that MEW meshes only enhanced fluid pressurization in gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Gerardo Cedillo-Servin, Ana Filipa Louro, Beatriz Gamelas, Ana Meliciano, Anne Zijl, Paula M. Alves, Jos Malda, Margarida Serra, Miguel Castilho
Summary: Microfiber-reinforced GelMA hydrogels can serve as sustained delivery platforms for human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EV). The release of EV can be delayed and the extent of release can be reduced by reinforcing the hydrogels with highly porous microfiber meshes.
BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Andreas Fuchs, Michael Bartolf-Kopp, Hartmut Boehm, Anton Straub, Alexander C. C. Kuebler, Christian Linz, Uwe Gbureck
Summary: Composite grafts made of self-setting and oil-based calcium phosphate cement (CPC) pastes, reinforced with 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) fiber mats, can be adapted to various bony defects in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The PCL-reinforced CPC samples have good processability and a high precision of fit, with increased clinical handling properties.
CLINICAL ORAL INVESTIGATIONS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Hatice Genc, Alessandro Cianciosi, Juergen Groll, Tomasz Juengst, Iwona Cicha
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A
(2023)