bims-biprem 2025-02-16 papers

Issue of 2025–02–16
six papers selected by
Seerat Maqsood, University of Teramo

J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2024 Dec;16(Suppl 4): S3027-S3030

Three-Dimensional Bioprinting as a Tool for Tissue Engineering: A Review.

Sneha C Dare, Pavan S Bajaj, Anand N Wankhede, Shubham U Tawade, Khyati N Manik.

The field of reconstructive and regenerative therapy has shown an increased amount of interest in three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting techniques in recent years. This technique applies 3D printing methods to tissue engineering, utilizing additive manufacturing techniques and bio-inks containing biomaterials and living cells. 3D bioprinting has the potential to create the lost tissue precisely. It provides control over the bio-ink component and printing structure, enabling the creation of spatially diverse constructs for the treatment, regeneration, and restoration of various maxillofacial abnormalities, and appears to be a promising alternative. As a result, this review aims to discuss the advancements in 3D bioprinting, including its multiple applications in regenerative and reconstructive dentistry, as well as future perspectives, such as the evolution of 4D bioprinting.

Keywords: 3D bioprinting (3D bioprinting); 4D bioprinting; bio-ink; reconstructive; regenerative; tissue engineering

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_678_24

Mater Today Bio. 2025 Apr;31 101509

DNA-encoded dynamic hydrogels for 3D bioprinted cartilage organoids.

Ziyu Chen, Hao Zhang, Jingtao Huang, Weizong Weng, Zhen Geng, Mengmeng Li, Jiacan Su.

Articular cartilage, composed of chondrocytes within a dynamic viscoelastic matrix, has limited self-repair capacity, posing a significant challenge for regeneration. Constructing high-fidelity cartilage organoids through three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting to replicate the structure and physiological functions of cartilage is crucial for regenerative medicine, drug screening, and disease modeling. However, commonly used matrix bioinks lack reversible cross-linking and precise controllability, hindering dynamic cellular regulation. Thus, encoding bioinks adaptive for cultivating cartilage organoids is an attractive idea. DNA, with its ability to be intricately encoded and reversibly cross-linked into hydrogels, offers precise manipulation at both molecular and spatial structural levels. This endows the hydrogels with viscoelasticity, printability, cell recognition, and stimuli responsiveness. This paper elaborates on strategies to encode bioink via DNA, emphasizing the regulation of predictable dynamic properties and the resulting interactions with cell behavior. The significance of these interactions for the construction of cartilage organoids is highlighted. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future prospects of using DNA-encoded hydrogels for 3D bioprinted cartilage organoids, underscoring their potential impact on advancing biomedical applications.

Keywords: Bioprinting; Cartilage organoids; DNA hydrogel; Tissue engineering

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.101509

Rozhl Chir. 2024 ;103(5): 158-166

Current clinical applications of 3D printing in the management of complex fractures.

M Chovanec, M Krtička, J Šrámek, J Kovařík.

The field of skeletal traumatology has undergone revolutionary changes worldwide over the last decade with the development of 3D printing technologies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how 3D printing is transforming fracture treatment and opening up new possibilities in the management of complex fractures. The use of 3D printing in medicine offers a new dimension in precision and customisation of treatment, enabling the creation of personalised surgical templates, individualised implants and tools. The development of 3D printing is closely linked to other technological advances, such as augmented reality methods, which represent a significant step forward in the visualisation and planning of surgical procedures. Although 3D printing offers many advantages, its integration into routine clinical practice still faces many challenges. This article examines the history and development of 3D printing technology, materials used in medicine, preoperative planning, the creation of surgical guides, the fabrication of patient-specific implants, and the integration of 3D printing and augmented reality in skeletal surgery, highlighting the technical, logistical, and ethical challenges of implementing this technology in surgical practice.

Keywords: 3D printing; Trauma surgery; augmented reality; fracture; osteoporosis; traumatology; virtual reality

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33699/PIS.2024.103.5.158-166

Biomaterials. 2025 Feb 10. pii: S0142-9612(25)00093-6. [Epub ahead of print]318 123174

Enhancing biofabrication: Shrink-resistant collagen-hyaluronan composite hydrogel for tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting applications.

Kaveh Roshanbinfar, Austin Donnelly Evans, Sumanta Samanta, Maria Kolesnik-Gray, Maren Fiedler, Vojislav Krstic, Felix B Engel, Oommen P Oommen.

Biofabrication represents a promising technique for creating tissues for regeneration or as models for drug testing. Collagen-based hydrogels are widely used as suitable matrix owing to their biocompatibility and tunable mechanical properties. However, one major challenge is that the encapsulated cells interact with the collagen matrix causing construct shrinkage. Here, we present a hydrogel with high shape fidelity, mimicking the major components of the extracellular matrix. We engineered a composite hydrogel comprising gallic acid (GA)-functionalized hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen I, and HA-coated multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). This hydrogel supports cell encapsulation, exhibits shear-thinning properties enhancing injectability and printability, and importantly significantly mitigates shrinkage when loaded with human fibroblasts compared to collagen I hydrogels (∼20 % vs. > 90 %). 3D-bioprinted rings utilizing human fibroblast-loaded inks maintain their shape over 7 days in culture. Furthermore, inclusion of HAGA into collagen I hydrogels increases mechanical stiffness, radical scavenging capability, and tissue adhesiveness. Notably, the here developed hydrogel is also suitable for human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and allows printing of functional heart ventricles responsive to pharmacological treatment. Cardiomyocytes behave similar in the newly developed hydrogels compared to collagen I, based on survival, sarcomere appearance, and calcium handling. Collectively, we developed a novel material to overcome the challenge of post-fabrication matrix shrinkage conferring high shape fidelity.

Keywords: 3D bioprinting; Cardiac; Hydrogel; Shrink-resistant; Shrinkage; Tissue engineering

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123174

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Feb 08. pii: S0141-8130(25)01295-4. [Epub ahead of print]304(Pt 1): 140746

Peripheral nerve regeneration with 3D printed bionic double-network conductive scaffold based on GelMA/chitosan/polypyrrole.

Rong Cheng, Zixian Liu, Meng Li, Zhizhong Shen, Xiaoyuan Wang, Jingchun Zhang, Shengbo Sang.

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a serious condition with limited surgical treatment options available. Conductive hydrogels have emerged as a promising alternative due to their ability to facilitate electrical signal exchange between cells and replicate the physiological microenvironment of electroactive tissues. Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers an innovative approach for fabricating neural scaffolds with precise structures and complex spatial architectures. In this study, we introduce a novel dual-bioink 3D printing strategy that integrates synthetic and natural materials to construct stable biomimetic neural tissue structures. The base bioink, comprising gelatin methacrylate (GelMA), chitosan (CS), and the conductive polymer polypyrrole (PPy), serves as a physical support network. It offers conductive pathways, promote cell growth, and ensures long-term structural integrity. The secondary bioink is a cell-loaded biodegradable gel-gelatin, which enables for precise cell deposition within the base network through a hybrid printing technique. The composite scaffold was evaluated for its mechanical properties, cytotoxicity, and ability to support neural differentiation. The results demonstrated that the 3D-printed neural network scaffold effectively promoted the neural differentiation and axon regeneration of PC-12 cells and HT-22 cells. These findings highlight its strong potential for facilitating neural functional recovery, positioning it as a promising candidate material for the treatment of PNI patients.

Keywords: 3D printing; Chitosan; Electrical stimulation; Nerve tissue engineering; Polypyrrole

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140746

Biopolymers. 2025 Mar;116(2): e23652

The Influence of Cuprorivaite Nanoparticles on the Physicomechanical and Biological Performance of 3D-Printed Scaffold Based on Carboxymethyl Chitosan Combined With Zein for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Mojtaba Ansari, Hossein Eslami, Abolfazl Karimi, Akram Dehestani, Mohammad Reza Razmaein, Fatemeh Ghanbari.

This study demonstrates a new degradable 3D-printed carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC)/zein bone scaffold loaded with different content of cuprorivaite (Cup) nanoparticles which labeled as CMCS/Z/Cup. Only a few studies have utilized these components to fabricate a three-component porous osteogenic scaffold. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the mechanical and biocompatibility of the nanocomposite which synthesized by 3D printing method. For this purpose, the Cup powder was initially synthesized through sol-gel process and its confirmation was proved using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Then, three CMC/Z scaffolds were made with different Cup contents: group A (0 wt.% Cup), group B (2.5 wt.% Cup) and group C (5 wt.% Cup). The scaffolds were well-ordered microporous with a high porosity and pore connectivity, as observed by morphological analysis by SEM. Additionally, the pore size of group B was more homogeneous than that of groups A and C. There were no significance differences in physicochemical characterization among the three groups. Mechanical properties analysis showed that values of compression modulus are significantly increased with addition of 2.5% Cup nanoparticles into CMCS/zein matrix, from 1.2 to 9.6 MPa. The incorporation of Cup nanoparticles into CMCS along with zein can provide a suitable substrate for the growth of osteoblast cells after implantation, as indicated by the results of in vitro degradation. The scaffolds were cultured in vitro with MG-63 cells, showing that cell viability increased with the Cup content, 95%, 105%, and 110% for the pure polymeric scaffold, and scaffolds reinforced with 2.5% and 5% Cup, respectively. As a result, the scaffolds designed in this study possess the ability to be used in bone tissue engineering due to having characteristics similar to natural bone.

Keywords: 3D printing; bone tissue engineering; carboxymethyl chitosan; cuprorivaite nanoparticles; zein

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bip.23652