posted on 2023-08-24, 11:03authored bySoo Jee Kim, Gihyun Lee, Je-Kyun Park
The application of cytocompatible
hydrogels supporting extensive
cellular activities to three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is crucial
for recreating complex physiological environments with high biomimicry.
However, the poor printability and tunability of such natural hydrogels
diminish the versatility and resolution of bioprinters. In this study,
we propose a novel approach for the hybrid biofabrication of complex
and heterogeneous 3D constructs using low-viscosity bioinks. Poly(lactic
acid) (PLA) filament is extruded by fused deposition modeling on a
micromesh to create PLA-framed micromesh substrates onto which fibrinogen
is printed by microextrusion bioprinting. The micromesh supports the
printed hydrogel with a capillary pinning effect to enable high-resolution
bioprinting. Accordingly, the micromesh–bioink layers are aligned
and stacked to form volumetric constructs. This approach, called the
3D micromesh–bioink overlaid structure and interlocked culture
(3D MOSAIC) platform, enables the fabrication of complicated and multimaterial
3D structures, including overhangs and voids. Endothelial cells cultured
under vasculogenic conditions in the platform self-organize within
the biologically functional hydrogel to form vascular networks, and
cancer cell migration can be observed across the layers. The multidisciplinary
3D MOSAIC platform is an important step toward the biofabrication
of complex constructs with high biological and structural significance
and functionality.