The 3D bioprinting sector faces the challenge of creating tissue that realistically replicates the complex anatomy of human organs. Researchers from the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen, TU Darmstadt, and the company Black Drop Biodrucker have now developed a novel bioink designed to significantly enhance nutrient transport within printed tissue structures.
In 3D bioprinting, cells are embedded within a hydrogel-based matrix to create living tissue models. Until now, the long-term viability of such structures has often been limited by insufficient nutrient and oxygen transport. The new method integrates microfibers produced via electrospinning, with diameters between 5 and 10 micrometers, comparable to natural capillaries.
“With a diameter of 5-10 µm, these fibers are in the range of blood capillaries and are the significant advance in our bio-ink,” explains Dr. Hanna Hartmann, Head of Division at the NMI and inventor in the joint patent.
In addition to improved nutrient supply to the cells, the new bioinks offer greater mechanical stability and reduced swelling behavior. These properties were scientifically confirmed, among others, by Annabelle Neuhäusler at TU Darmstadt.
“The fibers now measurably improve this transport. The particularly exciting finding for us is that they don’t even have to be hollow on the inside,” reports Jannik Stadler, site manager of Black Drop Biodrucker GmbH, which played a key role in the development of the bioink as coordinator of the BMBF-funded NatInk project.
In the long term, this innovation could enable patient-specific drug testing and reduce the need for animal experiments. New perspectives also open up in regenerative medicine, as bioinks with improved mechanical properties ensure more robust handling and greater structural stability for surgical applications.
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