Advantages of photo-curable collagen-based cell-laden bioinks compared to methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) in digital light processing (DLP) and extrusion bioprinting

Huimin Shi; Yang Li; Kailei Xu; Jun Yin

Materials Today Bio (Dec 2023)

Advantages of photo-curable collagen-based cell-laden bioinks compared to methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) in digital light processing (DLP) and extrusion bioprinting

Huimin Shi,
Yang Li,
Kailei Xu,
Jun Yin

Affiliations

Huimin Shi: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China; Key Laboratory of 3D Printing Process and Equipment of Zhejiang Province, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
Yang Li: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China; Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
Kailei Xu: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, 315010, China; Center for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Central Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, 315010, China; Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Atherosclerotic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, China; Corresponding author. Department of Plastic and reconstructive surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, 315010, China.
Jun Yin: The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China; Key Laboratory of 3D Printing Process and Equipment of Zhejiang Province, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China; Corresponding author. The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 23
p. 100799

Abstract

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The development of cell-laden bioinks that possess high biocompatibility and printability is crucial in the field of bioprinting for the creation of cell-embedded tissue engineering scaffolds. As widely known, methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) is one of the most commonly used photo-crosslinkable bioink for cell-laden bioprinting with different printing methods, but GelMA is the derivative of gelatin, so it loses the unique triple-helix molecular structure of collagen and may not be able to successfully activate the cellular pathways or facilitate cell-matrix interaction as effectively as collagen. Recently, methacrylated collagen (CMA) was developed to be an alternative photocrosslinkable bioink with a good bioactivity, but its low printability and biocompatibility limited that application in tissue engineering. In this study, the synthetic process for CMA was improved by synthesizing under 4 °C and using acidic aqueous solution as solvent. Our CMA bioinks were demonstrated a similar printability as GelMA in extrusion bioprinting, while a better formability in digital light processing (DLP). To further analyze the bioactive properties, CMA bioinks were encapsulated with Schwann cells (SCs) and bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for printing. SCs-laden CMA bioinks had a significantly higher proliferation rate and expression of neural stem cell-associated genes than GelMA in DLP bioprinting. While, BMSCs-laden CMA bioinks demonstrated >95% cellular viability, better cell spreading and higher expression of osteogenesis-related genes than that of GelMA. Overall, we speculate that the CMA-based bioink developed in this study could be potential bioinks for 3D cell-laden bioprinting in the future.

Published in Materials Today Bio

ISSN: 2590-0064 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General); Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/materials-today-bio

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