Light-activated decellularized extracellular matrix-based bioinks for enhanced mechanical integrity.

Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM)-based bioinks have emerged as key materials in tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting technologies due to their ability to closely mimic the biochemical composition and structural organization of native extracellular matrices. These bioinks facilitate critical cellular behaviors, such as adhesion, proliferation, and lineage-specific differentiation, which makes them invaluable for constructing tissue analogs for applications in regenerative medicine, organ transplantation, and disease modeling. Despite their transformative promise, dECM bioinks face persistent challenges, including limited mechanical robustness, delayed gelation kinetics, and suboptimal printability, all of which constrain their translational utility. The advent of photocrosslinking technologies marks a paradigm shift, with light-activated functional groups such as methacrylates, thiol-enes, and phenols substantially improving the gelation efficiency, mechanical properties, and spatial fidelity of the printed constructs. The present review critically examines the state-of-the-art advancements in light-mediated dECM-based bioink crosslinking strategies, with a focus on innovations in bioink and photoinitiator design along with optimized crosslinking kinetics to address inherent limitations such as cytotoxicity and structural variability. Further, the review highlights the necessity of standardized dECM processing protocols and scalable biofabrication techniques to ensure reproducibility and clinical translation. By overcoming these challenges, dECM-based bioinks can enable the production of high-resolution, volumetric tissue constructs, thereby paving the way for transformative advances in regenerative medicine and translational biomedical applications.