Background: In the present study, a novel bioink was suggested based on the oxidized alginate (OAlg), gelatin (GL), and silk fibroin (SF) hydrogels.
Methods: The composition of the bioink was optimized by the rheological and printability measurements, and the extrusion-based 3D bioprinting process was performed by applying the optimum OAlg-based bioink.
Results: The results demonstrated that the viscosity of bioink was continuously decreased by increasing the SF/GL ratio, and the bioink displayed a maximum achievable printability (92 ± 2%) at 2% (w/v) of SF and 4% (w/v) of GL. Moreover, the cellular behavior of the scaffolds investigated by MTT assay and live/dead staining confirmed the biocompatibility of the prepared bioink.
Conclusion: The bioprinted OAlg-GL-SF scaffold could have the potential for using in skin tissue engineering applications, which needs further exploration.
Keywords: Alginate; Bioprinting; Fibroin; Gelatin.