Rise of tissue- and species-specific 3D bioprinting based on decellularized extracellular matrix-derived bioinks and bioresins

Laura Elomaa; Ahed Almalla; Eriselda Keshi; Karl H Hillebrandt; Igor M Sauer; Marie Weinhart

doi:10.1016/j.bbiosy.2023.100084

Rise of tissue- and species-specific 3D bioprinting based on decellularized extracellular matrix-derived bioinks and bioresins

Biomater Biosyst. 2023 Nov 7:12:100084. doi: 10.1016/j.bbiosy.2023.100084. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Laura Elomaa¹, Ahed Almalla¹, Eriselda Keshi², Karl H Hillebrandt^{2

3}, Igor M Sauer^{2

4}, Marie Weinhart^{1

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 3, Berlin 14195, Germany.
² Experimental Surgery, Department of Surgery, CCM|CVK, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, Berlin 13353, Germany.
³ Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy, BIH Charité Clinician Scientist Program, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin 10117, Germany.
⁴ Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity, Image Space Material funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany´s Excellence Strategy - EXC 2025, Germany.
⁵ Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstr. 3A, Hannover 30167, Germany.

Abstract

Thanks to its natural complexity and functionality, decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) serves as an excellent foundation for creating highly cell-compatible bioinks and bioresins. This enables the bioprinted cells to thrive in an environment that closely mimics their native ECM composition and offers customizable biomechanical properties. To formulate dECM bioinks and bioresins, one must first pulverize and/or solubilize the dECM into non-crosslinked fragments, which can then be chemically modified as needed. In bioprinting, the solubilized dECM-derived material is typically deposited and/or crosslinked in a layer-by-layer fashion to build 3D hydrogel structures. Since the introduction of the first liver-derived dECM-based bioinks, a wide variety of decellularized tissue have been employed in bioprinting, including kidney, heart, cartilage, and adipose tissue among others. This review aims to summarize the critical steps involved in tissue-derived dECM bioprinting, starting from the decellularization of the ECM to the standardized formulation of bioinks and bioresins, ultimately leading to the reproducible bioprinting of tissue constructs. Notably, this discussion also covers photocrosslinkable dECM bioresins, which are particularly attractive due to their ability to provide precise spatiotemporal control over the gelation in bioprinting. Both in extrusion printing and vat photopolymerization, there is a need for more standardized protocols to fully harness the unique properties of dECM-derived materials. In addition to mammalian tissues, the most recent bioprinting approaches involve the use of microbial extracellular polymeric substances in bioprinting of bacteria. This presents similar challenges as those encountered in mammalian cell printing and represents a fascinating frontier in bioprinting technology.

Keywords: Bioink; Bioresin; Decellularized extracellular matrix; Extracellular polymeric substances; Extrusion bioprinting; Vat photopolymerization.