Spheroid-Exosome-Based Bioprinting Technology in Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Since the discovery that exosomes can exchange genes, their potential use as tools for tissue regeneration, disease diagnosis, and therapeutic applications has drawn significant attention. Emerging three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies, such as bioprinting, which allows the printing of cells, proteins, DNA, and other biological materials, have demonstrated the potential to create complex body tissues or personalized 3D models. The use of 3D spheroids in bioprinting facilitates volumetric tissue reconstruction and accelerates tissue regeneration via exosome secretion. In this review, we discussed a convergence approach between two promising technologies for bioprinting and exosomes in regenerative medicine. Among the various 3D cell culture methods used for exosome production, we focused on spheroids, which are suitable for mass production by bioprinting. We then summarized the research results on cases of bioprinting applications using the spheroids and exosomes produced. If a large number of spheroids can be supplied through bioprinting, the spheroid-exosome-based bioprinting technology will provide new possibilities for application in tissue regeneration, disease diagnosis, and treatment.

Keywords

• bioprinting
• exosome
• spheroid
• regenerative medicine
• tissue engineering