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Flexink - a new material for coaxial printing of biomimetic vessels

par Siminska-Stanny, Julia ;Nicolas, Lise L.N.;Chafaï, Adam ;Jafari, Hafez ;Hajiabbas, Maryam ;Dodi, Gianina;Gardikiotis, Ioannis;Podstawczyk, Daria;Delporte, Christine ;Nie, Lei;Shavandi, Armin
Référence Belgian Soniety of Tissue Engineering(BSTE2023: 6-7.12.2023: Liege), Flexink - a new material for coaxial printing of biomimetic vessels
Publication Publié, 2023-12-07

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Résumé :

Vascularization is fundamental to supplying cells with nutrients and oxygen, whilst eliminating waste products. Despite technological advances in 3D bioprinting, fabricating structures with hollow spaces and fine channels remains a challenge. The majority of current approaches still rely on pre-existing blood vessels to grow into the modified tissue, restricting the size and complexity of the structures. Yet there is an enormous unmet need to guarantee means of vascularization in artificial tissues that are both feasible and easily reproducible. In this light, our study presents a novel approach to engineering robust yet flexible and permeable artificial vessels in a single processing step using 3D printing by coaxial extrusion of a tyramine-modified polyethylene glycol (PEG-Tyr) biomaterial ink. We have combined the excellent biocompatibility/activity of gelatin, the resilience of PEG-Tyr, and alginate with the shear-thinning properties of methylcellulose in a novel biomaterial ink (#flexink) for the construction of bioinspired vessels. Coaxial printing, which allows materials to be extruded concentrically at the same time, was used to 3D print biomimetic vessels. The core ink was used as a cross-linking slurry for the #flexink, making it easy to form channels in a single step. Enzymatic cross-linking of PEG-Tyr performed just after extrusion, facilitated the formation of covalent cross-links in the hydrogel chains, ensuring vessel stability and improving mechanical properties. The newly designed #flexink resulted in stretchable, flexible vessels without compromising cell viability and adhesion. The printed vessels had excellent permeability and perfusability to handle burst pressures of up to 283.3 mbar. Vessel walls resembled fenestrated or sinusoidal capillaries, with pores facilitating rapid substance exchange. Chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and in vivo tests demonstrated the hydrogel's ability to promote neoangiogenesis. As such, #flexink holds promise for vascular tissue engineering applications, providing a flexible, biocompatible, and functional framework for the fabrication of vascular structures.