Session: 03-15-03: Multifunctional Materials, Structures and Devices: Modeling, Design, Manufacturing, and Characterization

Paper Number: 76845

Start Time: Thursday, 06:05 PM

76845 - 3d Printing Living Platforms for Biomedical Application 

Biological structures ranging in size from molecules to organelles, cells, organs, tissues, and the human body are exquisitely structured in three dimensions. In order to mimic, sense, or interface functional devices with biological ones, there is a need to create 3D, artificially structured materials or 3D, heterogeneously integrated, functional platforms (from nano- to macro- scales). Existing conventional fabrication and assembly technologies have facilitated the representation of 2D networks of interface-active devices or platforms with biology. Still, the technology is impeded in its application to complex 3D geometries that require hierarchical precision and multi-material heterogeneity. The solutions generally require fundamental, conceptual advances in materials science and engineering. Our approach is to use 3D printing, an additive manufacturing technology that permits manufacturing complex multi-(bio)material, multi-scale, and multi-functional 3D devices. In this presentation, I will discuss our recent progress in 3D printed living functional platforms for biomedical applications, including implantable spinal cord scaffolds.

Neural regeneration devices interface with the nervous system and can provide flexibility in material choice, implantation without the need for additional surgeries, and the ability to serve as guides augmented with physical, biological (e.g., cellular), and biochemical functionalities. Given the complexity and challenges associated with neural regeneration, a 3D printing approach to the design and manufacturing of neural devices can provide next-generation opportunities for advanced neural regeneration via the production of anatomically accurate geometries, spatial distributions of cellular components, and incorporation of therapeutic biomolecules. We have developed a novel 3D bioprinting process for the dynamic construction of customized, biocompatible scaffolds via a custom-built, one-pot 3D printer. We introduce a new approach in the 3D manufacturing of neural tissue constructs in which specific stem-cell derived neural progenitor cells can be precisely placed at the point of manufacture in designated locations within a neuro-compatible multichannel scaffold. This method allows us to place multiple specific neural progenitor cell types in channels at a resolution of ~ 200 µm. A cluster of cells, of a single type or multiple types, is deposited using a point-dispensing printing method with a ~ 200 µm center-to-center spacing within a channel. The printed progenitor cells differentiate and extend axons throughout the scaffold channels, generating the functional activity of neuronal networks, which is a critical foundation of a therapeutic device. This living platform could ultimately be used to prepare novel biomimetic scaffolds modeling complex tissue architectures to develop a clinical implant for treating neurological diseases and injuries, including spinal cord injury.

Presenting Author: Daeha Joung Virginia Commonwealth University

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