3D Bioplotter Research Papers
Functional reconstruction of injured corpus cavernosa using 3D-printed hydrogel scaffolds seeded with HIF-1α-expressing stem cells
Injury of corpus cavernosa results in erectile dysfunction, but its treatment has been very difficult. Here we construct heparin-coated 3D-printed hydrogel scaffolds seeded with hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)-mutated muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) to develop bioengineered vascularized corpora. HIF-1α-mutated MDSCs significantly secrete various angiogenic factors in MDSCs regardless of hypoxia or normoxia. The biodegradable scaffolds, along with MDSCs, are implanted into corpus cavernosa defects in a rabbit model to show good histocompatibility with no immunological rejection, support vascularized tissue ingrowth, and promote neovascularisation to repair the defects. Evaluation of morphology, intracavernosal pressure, elasticity and shrinkage of repaired cavernous tissue prove that…
3D-printable self-healing and mechanically reinforced hydrogels with host–guest non-covalent interactions integrated into covalently linked networks
Natural polymer hydrogels are one of the best biomaterials for soft tissue repair because of their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and low immune rejection. However, they lack mechanical strength matching that of natural tissue and desired functionality (e.g., self-healing and 3D-printability). To solve these problems, we developed a host–guest supramolecule (HGSM) with three arms covalently crosslinked with a natural polymer to construct a novel hydrogel with non-covalent bonds integrated into a covalently crosslinked network. This unique structure enabled the hydrogel to exhibit improved mechanical properties and show both self-healing and 3D printing capabilities. The three-armed HGSM was first prepared via efficient…
Fabrication of Highly Stretchable Conductors Based on 3D Printed Porous Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Conductive Carbon Nanotubes/Graphene Network
The combination of carbon nanomaterial with three-dimensional (3D) porous polymer substrates has been demonstrated to be an effective approach to manufacture high-performance stretchable conductive materials (SCMs). However, it remains a challenge to fabricate 3D-structured SCMs with outstanding electrical conductivity capability under large strain in a facile way. In this work, the 3D printing technique was employed to prepare 3D porous poly(dimethylsiloxane) (O-PDMS) which was then integrated with carbon nanotubes and graphene conductive network and resulted in highly stretchable conductors (OPCG). Two types of OPCG were prepared, and it has been demonstrated that the OPCG with split-level structure exhibited both higher…