Development of 3D bioprinted scaffolds comprising polysaccharide nanofibers and chitosan hydrogels for tissue engineering applications

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Anayancy Osorio-Madrazo, until 4/2024
• Subject Area: Biomaterials ; Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 422099486

There have been increasing interest in the development of 3D biofabrication techniques that can generate complex functional architectures with appropriate biomaterials and cells to mimic the native tissues microenvironment. 3D bioprinting is emerging as a powerful tool for tissue engineering (TE), which applies additive manufacturing to engineer 3D tissue resembling architectures. The current technologies implemented in bioprinting are mostly incapable of printing functional solid tissues/organs. The versatility of microextrusion biorpinting, combining microscopic resolution and the ability to generate macroscopic hydrogel structures, plus its broad range of dispensable materials, make this bioprinting technique suitable for applications in tissue engineering. In this project, we propose the development of functional 3D bioconstructs of cellulose nanofiber-reinforced chitosan hydrogels by extrusion-based bioprinting, for applications in the repairing and regeneration of mechanical demanding hydrogel tissues. We hypothesize that the development of 3D bioprinted CNF-filled CHI hydrogels will support the repairing and regeneration of those tissues at the long term, by constituting an integrated 3D functional tissue replacement. We will consider as model to assess our developed biomaterial the fiber-reinforced hydrogel and mechanical demanding native tissue: intervertebral disc (IVD). Screening of bioprinting processing parameters will be considered to achieve macroscopic 3D bioconstructs of good shape and stability with interconnected porous microstructures showing good mechanical and biological properties. Tissue repair and regeneration by the functional 3D bioprinted CNF/CHI hydrogel, approaching the native structure and functionality of the annulus fibrosus region of IVD, will be evaluated in this project.

• DFG Programme: Independent Junior Research Groups