Page 461 - IJB-9-2

International Journal of Bioprinting

PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE
Bioprinting of exosomes: Prospects and

challenges for clinical applications

Shivaram Selvam , Midhun Ben Thomas , Tuhin Bhowmick*, Arun Chandru*
†
†
Pandorum Technologies Private Limited, Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre, Electronic City Phase
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Three-dimensional bioprinting (3DBP) is an additive manufacturing technique that
has emerged as a promising strategy for the fabrication of scaffolds, which can suc-
cessfully recapitulate the architectural, biochemical, and physical cues of target tis-
sues. More importantly, 3DBP offers fine spatiotemporal control and high submicron
scale resolution, which can be leveraged for the incorporation and directional gra-
dient release of single or multiple biomimetic cues, including cell-derived exosomes
(EXOs). EXOs are extracellular vesicles that originate from the endosomal compart-
ment of various cell types, with sizes ranging from 30 to120 nm. They act as cell medi-
ators and contain discrete cell constituents, including growth factors, cytokines, lipid
moieties, nucleic acids, metabolites, and cell surface markers, depending on the cell
type. Essentially, owing to their therapeutic potential, EXOs derived from mesenchy-
† These authors contributed equally mal stem cells (MSCs) have been recently investigated in several clinical trials for the
to this work. treatment of various conditions, including cancer, diabetes, dry eyes, periodontitis,
*Corresponding authors: and acute ischemic stroke. The 3DBP strategy of EXOs is especially useful in tissue
Tuhin Bhowmick engineering and regenerative medicine applications, as tissues can be biofabricat-
(tuhin@pandorumtechnologies.in)
Arun Chandru ed to closely mimic the complex microarchitecture and developmental profiles of
(arun@pandorumtechnologies.in) native heterogeneous tissues for restoring biological functions. Moreover, EXOs can
Citation: Selvam S, Thomas MB, be manipulated to carry exogenous cargo such as genes or proteins of therapeutic
Bhowmick T, et al., 2023, Bioprinting interest, confer multifunctional attributes, and further enhance their tissue regenera-
of exosomes: Prospects and tive potential. However, significant challenges, including the selection of appropriate
challenges for clinical applications.
Int J Bioprint. bioink, pattern resolution, engineering-defined exosomal gradient, spatial presen-
https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.690 tation and modulation of EXO release kinetics, as well as EXO stability and storage
conditions, must be addressed for the successful translation of therapeutic grade
Received: June 08, 2022
Accepted: August 17, 2022 EXOs to clinical settings. In this review, we highlight the recent advances and offer
Published Online: February 20, future perspectives on the bioprinting of EXOs as regenerative biotherapeutics for
2023 the fabrication of complex heterogeneous tissues that are suitable for clinical trans-
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s). plantation.
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Keywords: Exosomes; 3D bioprinting; Bioink; Tissue engineering
License, permitting distribution
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
1. Introduction to exosomes
Publisher’s Note: Whioce
Publishing remains neutral with Cell-secreted lipid-bound extracellular vesicles can be classified into three subtypes,
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional including exosomes (EXOs), microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies, each of which have
affiliations. their own unique set of characteristics based on their biogenesis, release pathways, size,

Volume 9 Issue 2 (2023) 453 https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.690