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Bioprinting in Russia
dominated approaches, and to outline potential important milestone but also a manifestation of
perspectives. In this review, we focus our attention competitiveness of Russian bioprintists.
on bioprinting research and development in Russia. Multifunctional commercial clinical 3D
To date, Russia still represents a sufficiently bioprinter “Fabion” of extrusion type has been not
big player with strong research infrastructure, only designed and developed, but some of its most
traditions, research schools, and impressive essential functionalities have been also tested .
[7]
educational and training system. Thus, the focus The main principle constructive feature of a 3D
of this paper is to illustrate how Russian research bioprinter is a separation of a cell printing process
community can address new research challenges from hydrogel spraying, which allows the use of
and explore a perspective in high technology photosensitive hydrogel with ultraviolet-induced
areas such as 3D bioprinting and to estimate how polymerization without cell damage. The 3D
competitive is bioprinting research in Russia now bioprinter enables extrusion and precision placing
and the potential of Russian contribution to this of (i) hydrogel filaments with or without living cells,
new field in the future. (ii) continuous cellular rods, and (iii) separated
tissue spheroids as well as (iv) independent spraying
2 Four Russian bioprinting success stories of biocompatible hydrogels based on different

Conventionally, to show contribution of specific principles of induced polymerization. The “built-
country to the development of emerging research in” multifunctionality of the Russian 3D bioprinter
field, quantitative scientometric analysis was used. allows the layer-by-layer additive biofabrication
However, we believe that it is a basically formal of complex 3D human organ constructs using
approach and that the presentation of so-called tissue spheroids as building blocks. The use of
success stories sometimes provides much more only disposable and sterilized components in the
valuable qualitative information about competitive multinozzle system made the 3D bioprinter Fabion
[7]
potential of the analyzed research community. suitable and certifiable for clinical use .
Here, we will present four most impressive According to independent rating, bioprinter
Russian bioprinting success stories which reflect Fabion is one of the top 5 world best commercial
a strong creative and competitive potential of bioprinters. The development of an original
Russian bioprinting research community. certifiable clinical multifunctional 3D bioprinter is
an important step toward practical implementation
2.1 Development of the first Russian original of desirable organ printing technology in Russia.
commercial 3D bioprinter
2.2 Development of the first Russian laser-
A 3D bioprinter is a robotic device that carries assisted 3D bioprinter
out layer-by-layer biofabrication of 3D human
tissues and organs from living cells and hydrogels To date, laser-assisted bioprinting is one of the
according to a digital model . Development of actively developing techniques in bioprinting and
[7]
commercial 3D bioprinters certifiable for clinical developed based on a nozzle-free laser-induced
use will enable bioprinting 3D human tissues forward gel microdroplet transfer helping to
[8]
and organs that are suitable for implantation. The remove nozzle-associated side effects . One of the
capacity to develop an original 3D bioprinter is pioneers who introduced this technique was Boris
also a direct evidence of the competitiveness of a Chichkov. However, it was mostly exploited outside
particular country on a global level. Fabion is the Russia (mainly in Germany and France) for a long
first Russian original commercial multifunctional period of time. In 2019, the research team from
3D bioprinter of extrusion type that is suitable Institute for Regenerative Medicine (Sechenov
for robotic biofabrication of 3D human tissues University) and Institute of Photon Technologies
and organs and potentially certifiable for clinical (Federal Research Center Crystallography and
use. The development of Fabion is not only an Photonics) announced that they had constructed

2 International Journal of Bioprinting (2020)–Volume 6, Issue 3