Current advances of 3D-bioprinted microfluidic models with hydrogel bioinks and their applications in drug screening

Abstract

Microenvironments of tumor and organ models dictate the accuracy of drug screening results. The advancement of technologies and hydrogel bioinks has significantly increased the representation of tumor and organs models in the armada of drug testing tools. Hydrogel bioinks, characterized by their high water content and efficient substance transport, facilitate the reconstruction of human tissues by acting as functional carriers for cells. The molding and cell culture function of hydrogels are preserved and optimized through rational engineering techniques. Furthermore, previous studies have often focused on fabrication of supporting constructs by means of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting or microfluidic technology for dynamic cultures. Nevertheless, the combination of bioprinting and microfluidic technologies offers advantages in terms of dynamic response and automation, which enable the creation of artificial tumor or organ models to represent actual microenvironments. In this review, we discuss the components and physical features of tumor microenvironments (TMEs), most of which have been reproduced in artificial models widely by different researchers. We also classify bioink-simulating extracellular matrix (ECM) in TMEs, explain their crosslinking principles, and introduce their manifestations, including artificial disease or organ models in tissue engineering application. Technologies, such as 3D bioprinting and microfluidic technology, used to create these models are also outlined. At last, we summarize disease models and organ microarchitectures fabricated by these two technologies and offer application prospects of these models in the realm of precision medicine.