Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington have developed a flexible biodegradable hydrogel capable of printing human tissues. The team published its findings March 18 in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.
"Soft tissue bio-printing suffers from significant challenges as the hydrogels were often brittle and un-stretchable and could not mimic the mechanical behavior of human soft tissues," said Yi Hong, UTA professor of bioengineering and leader of the project. “To overcome these challenges, we developed a simple system using a single cross-linking mechanism activated by visible light to achieve a highly elastic and robust, biodegradable and biocompatible hydrogel for cell printing.”
The elastic biodegradable hydrogel is used in the bio-printing of materials that mimic human soft tissues, including skin, skeletal muscles, blood vessels and heart muscles. By using live cells, the hydrogel builds new tissues on a scaffolding and could change cell printing.
"Polycaprolactone and poly (ethylene glycol) are already widely used in Food and Drug Administration - approved devices and implants, which should facilitate quick translation of the material into pre-clinical and clinical trials in the future," Hong said. "The tunability of the mechanical properties of this hydrogel to match different soft tissues is a real advantage.”
Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.