A team of researchers has created a new bioprinting technique that uses aspiration to grab small biological particles and place them in precise 3D rows to create tissues that are similar to natural ones. The technique is also usable with or without scaffolding.
Tissue spheroids have been used on a large scale for the manufacturing of artificial tissues, but the precision of the available methods has been underwhelming in the past. In many cases, the spheroids were also built from the ground up in a scaffold-free environment, and they weren’t suitable for scaffolding fabrication projects.
Scaffolding is often needed in the many implementations of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. It can also be employed for the making of microphysiological systems that can be used to verify the effects of select drugs or the way in which some diseases evolve. The researchers combined aspiration-assisted bioprinting with regular micro-valve printing to tissues, which are homogenous and tissues with a variety of cells.
More About The New Bioprinting Technique
Aspiration-assisted bioprinting employs suction to select and move microscopic spheroids. Spheroids are secured on the instrument and placed on the key location before they are released.
During the procedure, the viscoelastic properties are taken into account to ensure that damage is produced while the spheroids are placed in the gel substrate. This keeps them biologically viable and ensures that the tissue will grow without problems.
Another boon is represented by the ability to create a matrix of spheroids that feature capillary networks that can be guided towards specific directions. Capillaries play a major role in the development and creation of tissues since they deliver crucial nutrients and oxygen to the cell.
The increased grade of precision is also needed for the creation of heterocellular tissues, with bone being a prime example. It is theorized that an improved version of the technique could be used to perform complex surgery at an affordable cost.
