Bioprinting: from Technique to Application in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Among the different approaches present in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, the one that has attracted the most interest in recent years is the possibility of printing functional biological tissues. Bioprinting is a technique that has been applied to create cellularized three-dimensional structures that mimic biological tissues and thus allow their replacement. Hydrogels are interesting materials for this type of technique. Hydrogels based on natural polymers are known due to their biocompatible properties, in addition to being attractive biomaterials for cell encapsulation. They provide a three-dimensional aqueous environment with biologically relevant chemical and physical signals, mimicking the natural environment of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Bioinks are ink formulations that allow the printing of living cells. The controlled deposition of biomaterials by bioinks needs to maintain cell viability and offer specific biochemical and physical stimuli capable of guiding cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. In this work we analyze the theoretical and practical issues of bioprinting, citing currently used methods, their advantages and limitations. We present some important molecules that have been used to compose bioinks, as well as the cellular responses that have been observed in different tissues. Finally, we indicate future perspectives of the method.