Patient-specific bioinks for 3D bioprinting of tissue engineering scaffolds

Bioprinting has emerged as a promising tool in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Various three dimensional (3D) printing strategies have been developed to enable bioprinting of various biopolymers and hydrogels. However, the incorporation of biological factors has not been well explored. As the importance of personalized medicine is becoming more clear, the need for the development of bioinks containing autologous/patient-specific biological factors for tissue engineering applications becomes more evident. We used platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a patient-specific rich source of autologous growth factors that can be easily incorporated to hydrogels and printed into 3D constructs. PRP contains a cocktail of growth factors enhancing angiogenesis, stem cell recruitment and tissue regeneration. Here, we report the development of an alginate-based bioink that can be printed and crosslinked upon implantation through exposure to native calcium ions. This platform can be used for the controlled release of PRP-associated growth factors which may ultimately enhance vascularization and stem cell migration.