Coaxial 3D Bioprinting of Vascular Tissue Engineering Scaffolds forPromoting Endothelial Cell Growth
Zhang Yifan1, Xu Mingen1,2*, Wang Ling1,2, Zhang He2
1(School of Automation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China) 2(Key Laboratory of Medical Information and 3D Bioprinting of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310018, China)
Abstract In the field of tissue engineering, the construction of vascular networks in vitro is very important for the regeneration of thick tissue and organs. In this study, with alginate/silk fibroin as bioink, vascular tissue engineering scaffolds containing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were rapidly prepared by coaxial 3D bioprinting. Firstly, the optimal concentration of materials for coaxial system were determined through compression modulus and printability test. Then, the effects of coaxial printing parameters on the shape of hollow fiber were studied by using optical coherence tomography, and the parameters were optimized. Combined with the simulated perfusion experiment, the vascular structure was characterized. Finally, the growth of HUVECs in the scaffolds was verified by cell live/dead staining and Alamar Blue method. Results showed that the optimized bioink and printing parameters could successfully prepare vascular tissue engineering scaffolds with complete internal connectivity. The HUVECs showed agglomeration growth in vitro, and the presence of vascularization channels was beneficial to maintain overall tissue activity, with a one-week survival rate of more than 97% and a higher proliferation rate than the control group. Our study proved that the vascular tissue engineering scaffolds built by coaxial 3D bioprinting technology promoted endothelial cell growth, providing new possibilities for thick tissue and organ regeneration.
