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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Patterning of tissue spheroids biofabricated from

human fibroblasts on the surface of electrospun

polyurethane matrix using 3D bioprinter

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Elizabeth V. Koudan , Elena A. Bulanova , Frederico D A S Pereira , Vladislav A. Parfenov ,
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Vladimir A. Kasyanov , Yousef D. Hesuani and Vladimir A. Mironov
1 The Laboratory of Biotechnological Research, 3D Bioprinting Solutions, Kashirskoe Roadway, 68/2, Moscow, Rus-
sian Federation
2 Riga Stradins University and Riga Technical University, Riga, LV-1007, Latvia

Abstract: Organ printing is a computer-aided additive biofabrication of functional three-dimensional human tissue and
organ constructs according to digital model using the tissue spheroids as building blocks. The fundamental biological
principle of organ printing technology is a phenomenon of tissue fusion. Closely placed tissue spheroids undergo tissue
fusion driven by surface tension forces. In order to ensure tissue fusion in the course of post-printing, tissue spheroids
must be placed and maintained close to each other. We report here that tissue spheroids biofabricated from primary hu-
man fibroblasts could be placed and maintained on the surface of biocompatible electrospun polyurethane matrix using
3D bioprinter according to desirable pattern. The patterned tissue spheroids attach to polyurethane matrix during several
hours and became completely spread during several days. Tissue constructions biofabricated by spreading of patterned
tissue spheroids on the biocompatible electrospun polyurethane matrix is a novel technological platform for 3D bio-
printing of human tissue and organs.
Keywords: tissue spheroids, electrospinning, polyurethane, 3D bioprinting, human fibroblasts, bioprinter, tissue fusion,
spreading

*Correspondence to: Vladimir A. Mironov, The Laboratory of Biotechnological Research, 3D Bioprinting Solutions, Kashirskoe Roadway,
68/2, Moscow, Russian Federation; Email: vladimir.mironov54@gmail.com

Received: October 26, 2015; Accepted: November 27, 2015; Published Online: December 17, 2015
Citation: Koudan E V, Bulanova E A, Pereira F D A S, et al., 2016, Patterning of tissue spheroids biofabricated from human fibro-
blasts on the surface of electrospun polyurethane matrix using 3D bioprinter. International Journal of Bioprinting, vol.2(1): 45–52.
http://dx.doi.org/10.18063/IJB.2016.01.007.

1. Introduction puter-aided robotic additive biofabrication of func-
3 [1,2] aimed by biofabrication of digital model using tissue spheroids as building blo-
tional human tissue and organ constructs according to
D bioprinting is a rapidly evolving area of bio-
medical research
[7,8]
cks
. Tissue spheroids are closely packed aggregates
human tissues and organs to solve one of the
most important and urgent medical problems — the of living cells. The fundamental biomimetic principle
of organ printing technology is a phenomenon of tis-
shortage of human organs for transplantation. There sue fusion which often occurs during embryonic de-
[9]
are different variants of emerging 3D bioprinting velopment . Two closely placed tissue spheroids un-
technology [3–6] . Organ printing is a variant of 3D bio- dergo tissue fusion driven by surface tension forces [10] .
printing technology which could be defined as a com- Thus, to enable post-printed tissue spheroids fusion it

Patterning of tissue spheroids biofabricated from human fibroblasts on the surface of electrospun polyurethane matrix using 3D bioprinter. © 2016
Elizabeth V. Koudan, et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 In-
ternational License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any me-
dium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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