A three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a new strategy for fabricating 3D cell-laden constructs that mimic the structural and functional characteristics of various tissues and provides a similar architecture and microenvironment of the native tissue. However, there are few reported studies on the neural function properties of bioengineered bone autografts. Thus, this study was aimed at investigating the effects of neural cell integration into 3D bioprinted bone constructs. The bioprinted hydrogel constructs could maintain long-term cell survival, support cell growth for human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs), reduce cell surface biomarkers of stemness, and enhance orthopedic differentiation with higher expression of osteogenesis-related genes, including osteopontin (OPN) and bone morphogenetic protein-2. More importantly, the bioprinted constructs with neural cell integration indicated higher OPN gene and secretory alkaline phosphatase levels. These results suggested that the innervation in bioprinted bone constructs can accelerate the differentiation and maturation of bone development and provide patients with an option for accelerated bone function restoration.
Keywords: 3D bioprinting; BMMSC differentiation; co-axial; innervation; osteogenesis.
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press.