A review on cell damage, viability, and functionality during 3D bioprinting

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting fabricates 3D functional tissues/organs by accurately depositing the bioink composed of the biological materials and living cells. Even though 3D bioprinting techniques have experienced significant advancement over the past decades, it remains challenging for 3D bioprinting to artificially fabricate functional tissues/organs with high post-printing cell viability and functionality since cells endure various types of stress during the bioprinting process. Generally, cell viability which is affected by several factors including the stress and the environmental factors, such as pH and temperature, is mainly determined by the magnitude and duration of the stress imposed on the cells with poorer cell viability under a higher stress and a longer duration condition. The maintenance of high cell viability especially for those vulnerable cells, such as stem cells which are more sensitive to multiple stresses, is a key initial step to ensure the functionality of the artificial tissues/organs. In addition, maintaining the pluripotency of the cells such as proliferation and differentiation abilities is also essential for the 3D-bioprinted tissues/organs to be similar to native tissues/organs. This review discusses various pathways triggering cell damage and the major factors affecting cell viability during different bioprinting processes, summarizes the studies on cell viabilities and functionalities in different bioprinting processes, and presents several potential approaches to protect cells from injuries to ensure high cell viability and functionality.

Cell viability prediction and optimization in extrusion-based bioprinting via neural network-based Bayesian optimization models

“…In this study, we conducted in-vitro experiments and bioprint gelatin and alginate-based bioinks under various printing and post-printing conditions. In general, bioink can be composed of various materials including hydrogels, polymers, and decellularized extracellular matrices (ECMs) [28]. Among these materials, hydrogels have attracted significant interest due to their properties, as they can provide the high-water content of the ECM and let tunability of the mechanical strength and biochemical properties.…”

Digital Light Processing 3D Bioprinting of Gelatin‐Norbornene Hydrogel for Enhanced Vascularization

“…In DLP printing, 10 to 15 s of exposure time is typically used to achieve a high resolution while maintaining cell viability. [40,41] As such, 10 mm LAP, which yielded a gel point under 10 s, was chosen as an optimal photoinitiator concentration for GelNB bioink.…”

Chemical and Structural Engineering of Gelatin-Based Delivery Systems for Therapeutic Applications: A Review

“…6,7 The gelatin-based materials have been leveraged in drug loading and release systems partially because they can penetrate tumors and achieve targeted drug delivery. 8 Gelatin is an intrinsic polyamphoteric electrolyte attributed to the presence of both cationic and anionic groups (i.e., amine and carboxylic acid groups). The classification of gelatin into types A and B, with distinct isoelectric points (IEPs), is determined by collagen hydrolysis processes, such as acidic and basic hydrolysis.…”

“…Through chemical modification or cross-linking processes, gelatin can acquire various functionalities, such as controlled release capability, facilitation of cell adhesion and proliferation, and augmentation of biological activity. Consequently, these advancements amplify the applications of gelatin within the medical domain. , The gelatin-based materials have been leveraged in drug loading and release systems partially because they can penetrate tumors and achieve targeted drug delivery …”