High cell density and high-resolution 3D bioprinting for fabricating vascularized tissues

Sci Adv. 2023 Feb 22;9(8):eade7923. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7923. Epub 2023 Feb 22.

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting techniques have emerged as the most popular methods to fabricate 3D-engineered tissues; however, there are challenges in simultaneously satisfying the requirements of high cell density (HCD), high cell viability, and fine fabrication resolution. In particular, bioprinting resolution of digital light processing-based 3D bioprinting suffers with increasing bioink cell density due to light scattering. We developed a novel approach to mitigate this scattering-induced deterioration of bioprinting resolution. The inclusion of iodixanol in the bioink enables a 10-fold reduction in light scattering and a substantial improvement in fabrication resolution for bioinks with an HCD. Fifty-micrometer fabrication resolution was achieved for a bioink with 0.1 billion per milliliter cell density. To showcase the potential application in tissue/organ 3D bioprinting, HCD thick tissues with fine vascular networks were fabricated. The tissues were viable in a perfusion culture system, with endothelialization and angiogenesis observed after 14 days of culture.

MeSH terms

  • Bioprinting* / methods
  • Cell Survival
  • Printing, Three-Dimensional
  • Tissue Engineering / methods
  • Tissue Scaffolds*