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International Journal of Bioprinting 3D-Printed GelMA biomaterials in cartilage repair

fabricated by traditional techniques. Nevertheless, there is unable to create scaffolds that effectively mimic the
are studies on the role of 3D-printed chondrocyte-laden architecture of full-thickness articular cartilage even after
GelMA hydrogels in promoting cartilage regeneration in other biomaterials were added to modify their mechanical
other cartilage regions like auricle and menisci . properties. Articular cartilage is a load-bearing tissue that
[68]
[69]
Taken together, incorporating cells in GelMA hydrogels requires high mechanical robustness. Most of the GelMA-
produced by 3D printing for cartilage tissue engineering has based biomaterials are hydrogels with, oftentimes, relatively
demonstrated promising results. Different cell types have weak mechanical strength, which limits their application
different advantages in promoting cartilage regeneration. in the fabrication of articular cartilage tissues. To broaden
Nevertheless, the best source of cells for use in cartilage their applications in regenerative medicine, GelMA
tissue engineering remains to be explored in the future . hydrogels must be modified to enable the fabrication of 3D
[70]
By incorporating different cell types, researchers can constructs that are more biomimetic to the structure and
exploit the wide array of application of GelMA hydrogels function of real tissues and organs.
with the help of 3D printing technology. Secondly, the degradation rate of GelMA-based
biomaterials is not really aligned with the articular
5.3. Exosomes cartilage regeneration rate, which is also a disadvantage of
Exosomes, extracellular vesicles secreted by cells, have using biomaterials in tissue engineering.
emerged as promising candidates for enhancing cartilage
regeneration due to their ability to mediate cell-to-cell Finally, a limitation intrinsic to GelMA-based
communication and transfer of bioactive molecules. biomaterials is their swelling behavior. Although these
Studies have demonstrated that exosomes derived from materials can be precisely 3D-printed according to
MSCs can promote cartilage regeneration by suppressing computational models, the resultant structures are
inflammation and inducing chondrogenesis. Cheng susceptible to dimensional alterations owing to their
et al. loaded BMSCs-derived exosomes (BMSCs-Exos) propensity to absorb water and subsequently swell. This
[71]
into GelMA hydrogel and found that the GelMA hydrogel can potentially lead to the loss of the meticulously designed
provided a good carrier for exosomes and facilitated structural integrity, underscoring the importance of
chondrogenesis in vitro and cartilage regeneration in vivo. managing and predicting the swelling behavior of GelMA-
Similarly, Guan et al. observed that BMSCs-Exos-loaded based materials in practical applications.
[72]
GelMA hydrogel could significantly boost the formation of Overall, there are also challenges with using 3D-printed
new cartilage in rats with joint defects by modulating the GelMA-based biomaterials in cartilage engineering, such
immune microenvironment. as its limited mechanical strength compared to native
Although there are not many studies on the combination cartilage tissue and the control of degradation rate. Further
of exosomes and 3D-printed GelMA-based biomaterials research is needed to optimize GelMA-based materials for
in articular cartilage tissue engineering, exosome-loaded cartilage engineering applications.
GelMA hydrogel scaffolds still represent a promising
strategy for promoting cartilage regeneration, especially
when combined with 3D printing technology. 7. Summary and prospects
Nevertheless, the development of active inks that offer Cartilage repair presents a significant clinical challenge
fitting environments to direct the healing process remains today. Tissue engineering offers potential solutions, but
a significant challenge. Still, it is important to consider traditional strategies prove insufficient for constructing
overcoming the limitations by determining the effective complex, multi-layered tissues like articular cartilage. 3D
dose, controlling the release of growth factors, and printing technology makes it possible to overcome these
managing any potential side effects. challenges, with GelMA emerging as an exceptional ink for
3D printing.
6. Limitations of 3D-printed GelMA-based GelMA boasts numerous advantages for cartilage
biomaterials in articular cartilage tissue tissue engineering. Its mechanical, swelling, and
engineering lubricating properties closely resemble those of natural
cartilage, making it a good candidate for cartilage
While GelMA-based biomaterials offer numerous benefits regeneration. GelMA promotes chondrocyte adhesion,
for application in articular cartilage tissue engineering, proliferation, and stem cell chondrogenesis, thereby
they do possess certain limitations.
maintaining chondrocyte phenotypes. Moreover,
Firstly, GelMA-based biomaterials demonstrates the high-degree modifiability and adaptability of
significant potential as an ink for cartilage repair, yet it GelMA diversify its applications. Due to its physical

Volume 9 Issue 6 (2023) 252 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.0116