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PERSPECTIVE

A perspective on 4D bioprinting

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1
2,3
Jia An , Chee Kai Chua and Vladimir Mironov
1 Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological Univer-
sity, Singapore
2 Renato Archer Information Technology Center, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
3 The Laboratory of Biotechnological Research, 3D Bioprinting Solutions, Kashirskoe Roadway, 68/2, Moscow, Rus-
sian Federation

Abstract: 3D bioprinting has been invented for more than a decade. A disruptive progress is still lacking for the field to
significantly move forward. Recently, the invention of 4D printing technology may point a way and hence the birth of
4D bioprinting. However, 4D bioprinting is not well defined and appear to have a few distinct early forms. In this article,
a personal perspective on the early forms of 4D bioprinting is presented and a definition for 4D bioprinting is proposed.
Keywords: 4D printing, bioprinting, additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, tissue engineering.

*Correspondence to: Jia An, Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore; Email: anjia@ntu.edu.sg

Received: October 22, 2015; Accepted: November 2, 2015; Published Online: November 5, 2015
Citation: An J, Chua K C and Mironov V, 2016, A perspective on 4D bioprinting. International Journal of Bioprinting, vol.2(1): 3–5.
http://dx.doi.org/10.18063/IJB.2016.01.003.

1. Introduction per we would only be able to discuss some early
T [1] pose a definition that unifies them.
forms of 4D bioprinting and based on which we pro-
he technology of 3D bioprinting has been in-
vented for more than a decade . A disruptive
progress is still lacking for the field to signifi-
cantly move forward. Recently, the invention of 4D 2. Approaches and Definition
printing technology may point a way. 4D printing Figure 1 shows three current approaches in 4D bio-
technology is invented by Massachusetts Institute of printing. They are distinct from each other. The first
Technology (MIT) and the fourth dimension refers to approach strictly follows MIT’s concept of 4D print-
ing, in which a substrate material (e.g., smart biopo-
[2]
time . The main difference from 3D printing is that it lymer or responsive hydrogel), upon stimulus, folds
involves a programmed shape change over the post- into a pre-defined 3D configuration, and the printed
printing time. 4D bioprinting is believed to be an ex- cell or tissue materials simply follow the folding of
tension of 4D printing into biomedical science and en- the substrate and form into a desired shape . The
[6]
gineering. However, in the current literature, there is second approach is kind of “in vivo 4D bioprinting”. A
hardly a report on applying MIT’s 4D printing tech- 3D printed polymer medical device is implanted first
nology to biomedical applications. Indeed, the phrase and then accommodates the growth of tissue or organ
of “4D bioprinting” can be found in a few recent re- over the postsurgical period . When the tissue or or-
[7]
views [3−5] , but all briefly mention it without giving gan becomes stronger and stronger, the medical device
further detailed information. At the time of writing, gradually breaks and is absorbed by the body. In this
4D bioprinting is still more of a thing-to-be rather than approach, the growth of the tissue could be seen as the
a well-established matter of fact. Therefore in this pa- stimulation. The third approach involves on-demand

A perspective on 4D bioprinting. © 2016 Jia An, et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribu-
tion-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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