DEVELOPMENT OF TISSUE-SPECIFIC BIOINK FOR CELL-BASED BIOPRINTING AND BIOPRINTED IN VITRO TISSUE MODEL

Abstract

3D bioprinting technologies have shown promise in creating bioengineered tissue constructs by precisely placing cells, biomaterials (as bioinks), and bioactive signals. Biomaterials should provide proper printability and tissue-specific microenvironments (biological and biophysical features) tailored to the target tissues. The main goal of this study is to develop a tissue-specific bioink system for cell-based 3D bioprinting and bioprinted in vitro tissue models. First, a photoinitiator (PI) and UV absorber (UA) were optimized to improve printability and cell viability in cell-based bioprinting. Then, a heparin-functionalized bioink system was developed for tissue-specific growth factor binding and stabilization. Lastly, a 3D bioprinted kidney in vitro model and a liver-on-a-chip (LOC) were designed for potential drug-screening applications. This novel tissue-specific bioink system can be a versatile tool for the biofabrication of various tissue types. Moreover, the developed tissue in vitro models can potentially serve as therapeutic replacements in vivo and experimental models for translational research.