Recent advances in the design and development of bioink formulations for various biomedical applications

Abstract

Creating functioning tissue constructions via bioprinting holds great promise for replacing diseased or damaged tissues, which employs precise control over the geometry and composition of the build. This is an emerging technique that offers highly reproducible and accurate computerized oversight over the constructed structures, potentially opening the door to high-throughput production. Tissue constructions are made by the bioprinting method using a solution of a biomaterial or a combination of multiple biomaterials in the hydrogel form, known as the bioink, which often encapsulates the appropriate cell types. Hydrogels' aqueous and three-dimensional networked environment has made them an attractive contender for the bio-ink formulation of 3D printing in recent times. Bio ink-based composites have however made significant progress in treating wounds, repairing muscles, bone, and tissue, and delivering drugs. The current review offers a cutting-edge update on the creation of various bio ink formulations and their uses in the biomedical industry. The various methods of fabrication—laser-based, extrusion-based, and inkjet-based bioprinting—are explained, illustrated, and contrasted. Benefits and drawbacks of every method are discussed along with the bioprinting approach's difficulties, restrictions, and potential future directions. Natural, synthetic, and hybrid materials utilized as bioinks are also examined.

Keywords

• Hydrogels
• Bioink
• Biomedical applications
• Natural polymers
• Synthetic polymers
• Bioprinting