Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, USA.
Biotechnol Bioeng. 2012 Dec;109(12):3152-60. doi: 10.1002/bit.24591. Epub 2012 Jul 19.
The capability to print three-dimensional (3D) cellular tubes is not only a logical first step towards successful organ printing but also a critical indicator of the feasibility of the envisioned organ printing technology. A platform-assisted 3D inkjet bioprinting system has been proposed to fabricate 3D complex constructs such as zigzag tubes. Fibroblast (3T3 cell)-based tubes with an overhang structure have been successfully fabricated using the proposed bioprinting system. The post-printing 3T3 cell viability of printed cellular tubes has been found above 82% (or 93% with the control effect considered) even after a 72-h incubation period using the identified printing conditions for good droplet formation, indicating the promising application of the proposed bioprinting system. Particularly, it is proved that the tubular overhang structure can be scaffold-free fabricated using inkjetting, and the maximum achievable height depends on the inclination angle of the overhang structure. As a proof-of-concept study, the resulting fabrication knowledge helps print tissue-engineered blood vessels with complex geometry.
打印三维（3D）管状结构的能力不仅是器官打印成功的合乎逻辑的第一步，也是所设想的器官打印技术可行性的关键指标。已经提出了一种平台辅助的 3D 喷墨生物打印系统来制造 3D 复杂结构，例如之字形管。使用所提出的生物打印系统成功制造了具有悬垂结构的基于成纤维细胞（3T3 细胞）的管状结构。即使在使用确定的良好液滴形成打印条件进行 72 小时孵育后，打印细胞管状结构的细胞活力仍保持在 82%以上（考虑到对照效果则为 93%），表明所提出的生物打印系统具有广阔的应用前景。特别地，已经证明可以使用喷墨技术无支架制造管状悬垂结构，并且最大可达高度取决于悬垂结构的倾斜角度。作为概念验证研究，所得到的制造知识有助于打印具有复杂几何形状的组织工程血管。
