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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Bioprinting of Human Neural Tissues Using a

Sustainable Marine Tunicate-Derived Bioink for

Translational Medicine Applications

Soja Saghar Soman , Mano Govindraj , Noura Al Hashimi , Jiarui Zhou , Sanjairaj
1
1
1
1,2
Vijayavenkataraman *
1,2
1 The Vijay Lab, Division of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, USA
Abstract: Bioprinting of nervous tissue is a major challenge in the bioprinting field due to its soft consistency and complex
architecture. The first step in efficient neural bioprinting is the design and optimization of printable bioinks which favor
the growth and differentiation of neural tissues by providing the mechanophysiological properties of the native tissue
microenvironment. However, till date, limited studies have been conducted to make tissue specific bioinks. Here, we report
a novel bioink formulation specifically designed for bioprinting and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) to peripheral
neurons, using a marine tunicate-derived hydrogel and Matrigel. The formulation resulted in seamless bioprinting of NSCs
with minimal processing time from bioink preparation to in vitro culture. The tissues exhibited excellent post-printing viability
and cell proliferation along with a precise peripheral nerve morphology on in vitro differentiation. The cultured tissues showed
significant cell recovery after subjecting to a freeze-thaw cycle of −80 to 37°C, indicating the suitability of the method for
developing tissues compatible for long-term storage and transportation for clinical use. The study provides a robust method to
use a sustainable bioink for three-dimensional bioprinting of neural tissues for translational medicine applications.

Keywords: 3D bioprinting; Neural stem cells; Peripheral neurons; Sustainable bioink; Extrusion bioprinting

Correspondence to: Sanjairaj Vijayavenkataraman, The Vijay Lab, Division of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, P.O.
Box 129188, UAE; vs89@nyu.edu

Received: April 26, 2022; Accepted: June 16, 2022; Published Online: August 23, 2022
Citation: Soman SS, Govindraj M, Al Hashimi N, et al., 2022. Bioprinting of Human Neural Tissues Using a Sustainable Marine Tunicate-
Derived Bioink for Translational Medicine Applications, 8(4):604. http://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v8i4.604

1. Introduction the body. Injury to peripheral nerves is a very common
neurological disease that is generally caused by direct
Our understanding of the nervous system disorders and mechanical trauma or degeneration. The self-repairing
its therapeutic developments majorly depends on the ability of peripheral nerves is limited and nerve injury can
animal models and two-dimensional cell culture systems. lead to life-long disability. 3D bioprinting of peripheral
Most of these traditional models cannot address the nerves is a promising technology to engineer peripheral
questions that pertain to species variations, sensitivity, nerve tissues for treatment as well as disease modeling.
and complexity of the human nervous system. These Stem cell technology combined with bioprinting offer
limitations demand a more realistic in vitro human model important tools to make viable peripheral nerve conduits
to study the nervous system. Biomaterials engineering, and nerve tissues [1-3] .
three-dimensional (3D) biofabrication, and stem cell 3D bioprinting requires the use of biocompatible
technology can help design innovative tissue systems that bioinks, which must be optimized to favor the
can be used to model the physiology and pathobiology of differentiation and growth of specific cell types for the
human nervous system. Peripheral nervous system is a formation of target tissues. The viscoelastic properties of
complex network of elongated nerves running throughout the bioink can be tuned for printing specific tissue types

© 2022 Author(s). This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting distribution and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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