Novel 3D Printing Methods and Applications in Biomedicine

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 12827

Special Issue Editors

Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: 3D printing; tumor organoid; tissue engineering; 3D cell culture; drug delivery and screening
School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: biofabircation; biomechanics; cell printing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Towards the major strategic needs of medical and healthcare development, 3D bio-printing has rapidly developed in recent years as the frontier intersection of advanced manufacturing and life science. While adapting viable living cells incorporated with biomaterials and bioactive molecules, a personalized 3D structure model or in vitro 3D organism could be generated according to bionic morphology and biological function. Being applied in biomedicine, 3D printing has been used in the earlier stages of in vitro medical devices, permanent implants and tissue scaffolds. Currently, the major achievements in 3D printing are in vitro biological models and engineering living systems; however, these face challenges in the biomimetic remodeling of the cell-specific micro-environment. Therefore, it is essential to promote the 3D printing method through advancing novel technologies, equipment and bioink systems to meet the demands for the reconstruction of in vivo-like complex tissues for biomedicine.

This Special Issue on “Novel 3D Printing Methods and Applications in Biomedicine” will focus on original research papers and review articles from worldwide experts in the research frontier of the bio-fabrication field, including diverse 3D printing techniques, innovative bio-ink recipes, advanced in vitro tissue models either for regenerative medicine or pathological study, and intelligent and controllable drug delivery.

Dr. Yuan Pang
Dr. Jun Yin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • 3D bio-printing technologies
  • nano-/micro-3D printing
  • integrated 3D printing (micro-fluidic-assisted or bioreactor-incorporated 3D printing)
  • functional material for bioink
  • scaffold design and fabrication for tissue engineering
  • pathological model and drug screening
  • 3D printing for drug delivery/controlled release

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 27532 KiB  
Article
3D-Printed Bioactive Scaffold Loaded with GW9508 Promotes Critical-Size Bone Defect Repair by Regulating Intracellular Metabolism
by Fangli Huang, Xiao Liu, Xihong Fu, Yan Chen, Dong Jiang, Tingxuan Wang, Rongcheng Hu, Xuenong Zou, Hao Hu and Chun Liu
Bioengineering 2023, 10(5), 535; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10050535 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1432
Abstract
The process of bone regeneration is complicated, and it is still a major clinical challenge to regenerate critical-size bone defects caused by severe trauma, infection, and tumor resection. Intracellular metabolism has been found to play an important role in the cell fate decision [...] Read more.
The process of bone regeneration is complicated, and it is still a major clinical challenge to regenerate critical-size bone defects caused by severe trauma, infection, and tumor resection. Intracellular metabolism has been found to play an important role in the cell fate decision of skeletal progenitor cells. GW9508, a potent agonist of the free fatty acid receptors GPR40 and GPR120, appears to have a dual effect of inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and promoting osteogenesis by regulating intracellular metabolism. Hence, in this study, GW9508 was loaded on a scaffold based on biomimetic construction principles to facilitate the bone regeneration process. Through 3D printing and ion crosslinking, hybrid inorganic-organic implantation scaffolds were obtained after integrating 3D-printed β-TCP/CaSiO3 scaffolds with a Col/Alg/HA hydrogel. The 3D-printed β-TCP/CaSiO3 scaffolds had an interconnected porous structure that simulated the porous structure and mineral microenvironment of bone, and the hydrogel network shared similar physicochemical properties with the extracellular matrix. The final osteogenic complex was obtained after GW9508 was loaded into the hybrid inorganic-organic scaffold. To investigate the biological effects of the obtained osteogenic complex, in vitro studies and a rat cranial critical-size bone defect model were utilized. Metabolomics analysis was conducted to explore the preliminary mechanism. The results showed that 50 μM GW9508 facilitated osteogenic differentiation by upregulating osteogenic genes, including Alp, Runx2, Osterix, and Spp1 in vitro. The GW9508-loaded osteogenic complex enhanced osteogenic protein secretion and facilitated new bone formation in vivo. Finally, the results from metabolomics analysis suggested that GW9508 promoted stem cell differentiation and bone formation through multiple intracellular metabolism pathways, including purine and pyrimidine metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. This study provides a new approach to address the challenge of critical-size bone defects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel 3D Printing Methods and Applications in Biomedicine)
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13 pages, 1197 KiB  
Article
CT-Derived 3D Printing for Coronary Artery Cannulation Simulator Design Manufacturing
by Helvina Vika Etami, Rochmi Isnaini Rismawanti, Vita Arfiana Nur Hanifah, Herianto Herianto, Yarabisa Yanuar, Djoko Kuswanto, Dyah Wulan Anggrahini and Putrika Prastuti Ratna Gharini
Bioengineering 2022, 9(8), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering9080338 - 25 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1842
Abstract
Mastering coronary angiography requires practice. Cadavers and animals do not accurately represent the human anatomical body, and practicing with actual patients has medical safety issues. Simulation offers safe and realistic conditions for cardiology intervention training. In this study, we propose a novel 3D [...] Read more.
Mastering coronary angiography requires practice. Cadavers and animals do not accurately represent the human anatomical body, and practicing with actual patients has medical safety issues. Simulation offers safe and realistic conditions for cardiology intervention training. In this study, we propose a novel 3D printed simulator that contains physically realistic anatomy and has four access points. It increases safety for patients and students, and production is low-cost. We aimed to make and validate this simulator design as a prototype for coronary cannulation training. It was designed using computed tomography (CT) scan data of aorta, coronary, and heart models, and was printed by 3D printing with resin materials consisting of 75% or 85% clear resin and 25% or 15% flexible resin additive. The simulator was constructed with a camera above the simulator with a degree of LAO of 30°/0°, a display table, and an acrylic box. Twelve validators were interviewed for their expert opinions and analyzed by a qualitative method. They scored the simulator’s suitability on a four-point Likert scale questionnaire. They described the simulator as having admirable values for all aspects (85.8%), curriculum suitability (92%), educational importance (94%), accuracy (83%), efficiency (78%), safety (87.5%), endurance (81.2%), aesthetics (80.7%), storage (85.4%), and affordability (85.8%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel 3D Printing Methods and Applications in Biomedicine)
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Review

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39 pages, 10176 KiB  
Review
Additive Manufacturing of Bioactive Glass and Its Polymer Composites as Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds: A Review
by Lizhe He, Jun Yin and Xiang Gao
Bioengineering 2023, 10(6), 672; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10060672 - 01 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1987
Abstract
Bioactive glass (BG) and its polymer composites have demonstrated great potential as scaffolds for bone defect healing. Nonetheless, processing these materials into complex geometry to achieve either anatomy-fitting designs or the desired degradation behavior remains challenging. Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of [...] Read more.
Bioactive glass (BG) and its polymer composites have demonstrated great potential as scaffolds for bone defect healing. Nonetheless, processing these materials into complex geometry to achieve either anatomy-fitting designs or the desired degradation behavior remains challenging. Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of BG and BG/polymer objects with well-defined shapes and intricate porous structures. This work reviewed the recent advancements made in the AM of BG and BG/polymer composite scaffolds intended for bone tissue engineering. A literature search was performed using the Scopus database to include publications relevant to this topic. The properties of BG based on different inorganic glass formers, as well as BG/polymer composites, are first introduced. Melt extrusion, direct ink writing, powder bed fusion, and vat photopolymerization are AM technologies that are compatible with BG or BG/polymer processing and were reviewed in terms of their recent advances. The value of AM in the fabrication of BG or BG/polymer composites lies in its ability to produce scaffolds with patient-specific designs and the on-demand spatial distribution of biomaterials, both contributing to effective bone defect healing, as demonstrated by in vivo studies. Based on the relationships among structure, physiochemical properties, and biological function, AM-fabricated BG or BG/polymer composite scaffolds are valuable for achieving safer and more efficient bone defect healing in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel 3D Printing Methods and Applications in Biomedicine)
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27 pages, 1500 KiB  
Review
Biological Scaffolds for Congenital Heart Disease
by Amy G. Harris, Tasneem Salih, Mohamed T. Ghorbel, Massimo Caputo, Giovanni Biglino and Michele Carrabba
Bioengineering 2023, 10(1), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10010057 - 02 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2239
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most predominant birth defect and can require several invasive surgeries throughout childhood. The absence of materials with growth and remodelling potential is a limitation of currently used prosthetics in cardiovascular surgery, as well as their susceptibility to [...] Read more.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most predominant birth defect and can require several invasive surgeries throughout childhood. The absence of materials with growth and remodelling potential is a limitation of currently used prosthetics in cardiovascular surgery, as well as their susceptibility to calcification. The field of tissue engineering has emerged as a regenerative medicine approach aiming to develop durable scaffolds possessing the ability to grow and remodel upon implantation into the defective hearts of babies and children with CHD. Though tissue engineering has produced several synthetic scaffolds, most of them failed to be successfully translated in this life-endangering clinical scenario, and currently, biological scaffolds are the most extensively used. This review aims to thoroughly summarise the existing biological scaffolds for the treatment of paediatric CHD, categorised as homografts and xenografts, and present the preclinical and clinical studies. Fixation as well as techniques of decellularisation will be reported, highlighting the importance of these approaches for the successful implantation of biological scaffolds that avoid prosthetic rejection. Additionally, cardiac scaffolds for paediatric CHD can be implanted as acellular prostheses, or recellularised before implantation, and cellularisation techniques will be extensively discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel 3D Printing Methods and Applications in Biomedicine)
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26 pages, 4369 KiB  
Review
The Role of Machine Learning and Design of Experiments in the Advancement of Biomaterial and Tissue Engineering Research
by Ghayadah Al-Kharusi, Nicholas J. Dunne, Suzanne Little and Tanya J. Levingstone
Bioengineering 2022, 9(10), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering9100561 - 17 Oct 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4503
Abstract
Optimisation of tissue engineering (TE) processes requires models that can identify relationships between the parameters to be optimised and predict structural and performance outcomes from both physical and chemical processes. Currently, Design of Experiments (DoE) methods are commonly used for optimisation purposes in [...] Read more.
Optimisation of tissue engineering (TE) processes requires models that can identify relationships between the parameters to be optimised and predict structural and performance outcomes from both physical and chemical processes. Currently, Design of Experiments (DoE) methods are commonly used for optimisation purposes in addition to playing an important role in statistical quality control and systematic randomisation for experiment planning. DoE is only used for the analysis and optimisation of quantitative data (i.e., number-based, countable or measurable), while it lacks the suitability for imaging and high dimensional data analysis. Machine learning (ML) offers considerable potential for data analysis, providing a greater flexibility in terms of data that can be used for optimisation and predictions. Its application within the fields of biomaterials and TE has recently been explored. This review presents the different types of DoE methodologies and the appropriate methods that have been used in TE applications. Next, ML algorithms that are widely used for optimisation and predictions are introduced and their advantages and disadvantages are presented. The use of different ML algorithms for TE applications is reviewed, with a particular focus on their use in optimising 3D bioprinting processes for tissue-engineered construct fabrication. Finally, the review discusses the future perspectives and presents the possibility of integrating DoE and ML in one system that would provide opportunities for researchers to achieve greater improvements in the TE field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel 3D Printing Methods and Applications in Biomedicine)
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