Laser-Induced Forward Transfer on Regenerative Medicine Applications

Abstract

AbstractTo date, the ultimate goal of bioprinting is to create autologous tissue grafts for future replacement therapies through utilization of cells and biomaterials simultaneously. Bioprinting is an additive manufacturing technology that has significant potential in the biomedical field. Among the main bioprinting techniques, such as inkjet, laser and extrusion bioprinting, the laser-induced forward transfer technique (LIFT) is based on a precise nozzle-free laser-assisted cell free/cell-laden microdroplet transfer. Although this technique was first reported in the 1980s, it begun to rapidly develop in biomedicine only a decade ago. It is a promising technique due to its high spatial resolution, post-bioprinting cell viability, and the ability to deposit high-viscous biomaterials. These characteristics allow the LIFT technology to control cells precisely to engineer living tissue. In this review, we discuss LIFT technique and its applications in biomedical engineering. This advanced technology enables the precise manipulation of in vitro cellular microenvironments and the ability to engineer functional three-dimensional (3D) tissues with high complexity and heterogeneity, which serve in regenerative medicine and in vitro screening applications. The core of this review is the discussion of biological and physical aspects for tissue engineering and/or organ replacement encountered during printing specifically when utilizing the LIFT technique.