Open AccessExtrusion-Based 3D Bioprinting of Gradients of Stiffness, Cell Density, and Immobilized Peptide Using Thermogelling Hydrogels
Author(s) -
Merve Kuzucu,
Grace Vera,
Marco Beaumont,
Sascha Fischer,
Wei Pan,
V. Prasad Shastri,
Aurélien Forget
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acs biomaterials science and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.082
H-Index - 50
ISSN - 2373-9878
DOI - 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00183
Subject(s) - 3d bioprinting , agarose , self healing hydrogels , tissue engineering , materials science , adhesion , peptide , cell adhesion , extrusion , biomedical engineering , biophysics , chemistry , polymer chemistry , composite material , chromatography , biochemistry , medicine , biology
To study biological processes in vitro , biomaterials-based engineering solutions to reproduce the gradients observed in tissues are necessary. We present a platform for the 3D bioprinting of functionally graded biomaterials based on carboxylated agarose, a bioink amendable by extrusion bioprinting. Using this bioink, objects with a gradient of stiffness and gradient of cell concentration were printed. Functionalization of carboxylated agarose with maleimide moieties that react in minutes with a cysteine-terminated cell-adhesion peptide allowed us to print objects with a gradient of an immobilized peptide. This approach paves the way toward the development of tissue mimics with gradients.