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Abstract
Bioprinting is an emerging technology for producing tissue-mimetic 3-D structures
using cell-containing hydrogels (bioink). Various synthetic and natural hydrogels
with key characteristics, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, printability
and crosslinkability, have been employed as ink materials in bioprinting. Choosing
the right cell-containing "bioink" material is the most essential step for fabricating
3-D constructs with a controlled mechanical and biochemical microenvironment that
can lead to successful tissue regeneration and repair. Here, we demonstrate that the
genetically engineered M13 phage holds great potential for use as a versatile nanoink
for printing 3-D cell-laden matrices. In particular, M13 phages displaying integrin-binding
(GRGDS) and calcium-binding (DDYD) domains on their surface were blended with alginate
to successfully form Ca(2+)-crosslinked hydrogels. Furthermore, 3-D cell-laden scaffolds
with high cell viability were generated after optimizing the printing process. The
MC3T3-E1 cells within these scaffolds showed enhanced proliferation and differentiation
rates that increased proportionally with the concentration of phages in the 3-D matrices
compared with the rates of cells in pure alginate scaffolds.