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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Exploring nanofibrous self-assembling peptide

hydrogels using mouse myoblast cells for

three-dimensional bioprinting and tissue engineering

applications

Wafaa Arab , Kowther Kahin 1,2† , Zainab Khan 1,2† , Charlotte A. E. Hauser *
1†
1
1 Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah
University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Effat University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
† These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: Injured skeletal muscles which lose more than 20% of their volume, known as volumetric muscle loss, can no
longer regenerate cells through self-healing. The traditional solution for recovery is through regenerative therapy. As the
technology of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting continues to advance, a new approach for tissue transplantation is using
biocompatible materials arranged in 3D scaffolds for muscle repair. Ultrashort self-assembling peptide hydrogels compete
as a potential biomaterial for muscle tissue formation due to their biocompatibility. In this study, two sequences of ultrashort
peptides were analyzed with muscle myoblast cells (C2C12) for cell viability, cell proliferation, and differentiation in 3D cell
culture. The peptides were then extruded through a custom-designed robotic 3D bioprinter to create cell-laden 3D structures.
These constructs were also analyzed for cell viability through live/dead assay. Results showed that 3D bioprinted structures of
peptide hydrogels could be used as tissue platforms for myotube formation – a process necessary for muscle repair.
Keywords: Three-dimensional bioprinting; Peptide; Biomaterials; Bioinks; Tissue engineering; Myoblasts

*Correspondence to: Charlotte A. E. Hauser, Laboratory for Nanomedicine, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Division of
Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, 4700 Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia; charlotte.hauser@kaust.edu.sa
Received: April 12, 2019; Accepted: May 07, 2019; Published Online: July 20, 2019

Citation: Arab W, Kahin K, Khan Z, et al., 2019, Exploring nanofibrous self-assembling peptide hydrogels using mouse
myoblast cells for three-dimensional bioprinting and tissue engineering applications. Int J Bioprint, 5(2): 198. http://dx.doi.
org/10.18063/ijb.v5i2.198

1. Introduction to sufficient tissues and organs for all patients is nearly
impossible, and many patients die waiting for available
Drastic muscle loss resulting from injury, birth defect, or organs due to long transplant waiting lists. Furthermore,
cancer ablation restrains muscles’ ability to reconstruct implanting compatible foreign biomaterials can cause
through self-healing, consequently requiring regenerative dislodgment, fracture, and infection. These challenges
treatments through engineered tissues . Around 45 million have simulated a need to pursue and develop innovative
[1]
cases of reconstructive surgeries are reported yearly in the approaches to deliver required tissue .
[4]
USA . Autologous tissue transfer is the present treatment Skeletal muscle is a soft tissue that constitutes
[2]
for massive tissue loss. However, patients undergo approximately half of the human adult body mass .
[5]
complications and functional restrictions resulted from Muscles mass is profoundly affected by many factors such
harvesting tissues from a donor . Moreover, the access as nutritional level, hormonal status, physical activity,
[3]
Exploring nanofibrous self-assembling peptide hydrogels using mouse myoblast cells for three-dimensional bioprinting and tissue engineering applications
© 2019 Arab, et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-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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