Preparation and characterization of nanoclay-hydrogel composite support-bath for bioprinting of complex structures

Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 24;10(1):5257. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61606-x.

Abstract

Three-dimensional bioprinting of cell-laden hydrogels in a sacrificial support-bath has recently emerged as a potential solution for fabricating complex biological structures. Physical properties of the support-bath strongly influence the bioprinting process and the outcome of the fabricated constructs. In this study, we reported the application of a composite Pluronic-nanoclay support-bath including calcium ions as the crosslinking agent for bioprinting of cell-laden alginate-based hydrogels. By tuning the rheological properties, a shear-thinning composite support-bath with fast self-recovery behavior was yielded, which allowed continuous printing of complex and large-scale structures. The printed structures were easily and efficiently harvested from the support-bath without disturbing their shape fidelity. Moreover, the results showed that support-bath assisted bioprinting process did not influence the viability of cells encapsulated within hydrogel. This study demonstrates that Pluronic-nanoclay support-bath can be utilized for bioprinting of complex, cell-laden constructs for vascular and other tissue engineering applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.