Page 87 - IJB-7-3
P. 87
Pei, et al.
According to the layered characteristics of the brain Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,
tissue, in this paper, we developed a technology to print and the Youth Innovation Team of Shaanxi Universities.
the layered structure with gradient distribution of pore
size. This technology not only be used to manufacture Conflicts of interest
brain-like tissue with layered structure, but also can We have no financial and personal relationships with other
be used to manufacture layered tissues widely existing people or organizations that can inappropriately influence
in human body, such as cartilage, blood vessels and our work, there is no professional or other personal
others. By changing and optimizing the cell type and cell interest of any nature or kind in any product, service, and/
density used in this printing process, we can construct the or company that could be construed as influencing the
corresponding tissue/organ in vitro. position presented in, or the review of, this article.
We encountered some problems in this study.
A printed structure of <30 layers can maintain a more Author contributions
regular and complete structure, but when the printed
structure had more than 30 layers, the edge of the printed J.H. is one of the guest editors of the Special Issue:
structure began to appear defects, but the middle part Bioprinting of 3D Functional Tissue Constructs. The
could still maintain a better structure. In future research, editorial and peer-review processes of this paper was
we plan to further optimize the printing parameters and exclusively handled by the editors of the journal without
printing process to produce a structure with more layers. interference of any of the guest editors.
Although the cells possess a high survival rate and References
proliferation rate within the printed structure, they did not
exhibit similar spreading and migration characteristics as 1. Muming Pu BX, 2016, Nao Ke Xue Yu Lei Nao Yan Jiu
in normal tissues. The biocompatibility of the bio-ink can Gai Shu. [Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence
be improved by modifying the material (RGD peptide
modification) or adding bioactive factors (structural Technology]. J Chin Acad Sci, 31:725–36.
protein, glycoprotein, etc.) so as to further investigate 2. Xiong Y, Mahmood A, Chopp M, 2013, Animal Models of
the effect of special structure or signal factors (gradient Traumatic Brain Injury. Nat Rev Neurosci, 14:128–42.
distribution) on cell morphology and function expression. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3407
5. Conclusion 3. Huh D, Hamilton GA, Ingber DE, 2011, From 3D Cell
Culture to Organs-on-Chips. Trends Cell Biol, 21:745–54.
In this study, we designed and built integrated cell https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2011.09.005
printing/culture equipment for printing and culturing a 4. Imamura Y, Mukohara T, Shimono Y, et al., 2015, Comparison
3D brain-like layered structure. This equipment provides of 2D- and 3D-Culture Models as Drug-testing Platforms in
a more affordable, integrated, and cell-friendly device for
printing active organs and tissues in vitro. Gelatin, sodium Breast Cancer. Oncol Rep, 33:1837–43.
alginate, and collagen were chosen as the raw materials of https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2015.3767
printing ink, and we developed a set of preparation scheme 5. Tian XF, Heng BC, Ge Z, et al., 2008, Comparison of
of the bio-inks. The optimum printing parameters of the Osteogenesis of Human Embryonic Stem Cells within 2D
bio-inks were determined by studying the printing process and 3D Culture systems. Scand J Clin Lab Invest, 68:58–6.
parameters such as material extrusion rate u, platform https://doi.org/10.1080/00365510701466416
moving rate v, and needle diameter D. The pre-treatment
and post-processing conditions of the bio-inks were also 6. Zhang D, Pekkanen-Mattila M, Shahsavani M, et al., 2014,
studied. By adjusting the collagen concentration of the A 3D Alzheimer’s Disease Culture Model and the Induction
bio-inks in each printing nozzle, the layered structure of P21-Activated Kinase Mediated Sensing in iPSC Derived
with gradient distribution of pore size could be produced. Neurons. Biomaterials, 35:1420–8.
The forming accuracy of the printed single-layer structure https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.11.028
reached 97.24%, and the survival rate of cells in the printed 7. Ng WL, Chua CK, Shen YF, 2019, Print Me An Organ! Why
structure reached 94.5%. These gradient pore structures We Are Not There Yet. Prog Polym Sci, 97:101145.
provide a more accurate 3D in vitro model for studying the
complex structure and function of brain tissue. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2019.101145
8. Ozbolat IT, Hospodiuk M, 2016, Current Advances and Future
Acknowledgments Perspectives in Extrusion-based Bioprinting. Biomaterials,
The work was supported by the Program of the National 76:321–43.
Natural Science Foundation of China (51675411), and the https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.10.076
International Journal of Bioprinting (2021)–Volume 7, Issue 3 83

