3D Bioprinting: from Benches to Translational Applications

Abstract

Over the last decades, the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) tissues has become commonplace in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, conventional 3D fabrication techniques such as scaffolding, microengineering, and fiber and cell sheet engineering are limited in their capacity to fabricate complex tissue constructs with the required precision and controllability that is needed to replicate biologically relevant tissues. To this end, 3D bioprinting offers great versatility to fabricate biomimetic volumetric tissues that are structurally and functionally relevant. It enables precise control of the composition, spatial distribution, and architecture of bioprinted constructs facilitating the recapitulation of the delicate shape and structure of targeted organs and tissues. Here we systematically review the history of bioprinting and the most recent advances in instrumentation and methods. We then focus on the requirements for bioinks and cells to achieve optimal fabrication of biomimetic constructs. We next discuss emerging evolutions and future directions of bioprinting such as freeform, high-resolution, multi-material, and four-dimensional bioprinting. Finally, we present the translational potential of bioprinting and bioprinted tissues of various categories and conclude by exemplifying commercially available bioprinting platforms.