UNS: Integrating 3D Bioprinting and Biologically Inspired Nanomaterials for Cartilage Regeneration

关节软骨是一种非常难再生的组织，因为它的再生能力非常差。即使是很小的软骨缺损也是永久性的，很难愈合。目前没有一种治疗方法能提供完美的解决方案。作为一种新兴的3D组织制造技术，3D生物打印提供了很高的精度和复杂组织支架的几何控制。如果成功，该项目有可能对软骨组织工程领域产生影响，从而显著改善人类健康。此外，由此产生的3D生物打印设计原理、干细胞调节机制和纳米材料可以作为其他组织/器官再生的转化基础。该奖项由两个项目联合颁发：(1)生物医学工程，(2)生物技术和生物化学工程，均隶属于工程局的化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统部门。由于人软骨细胞外基质具有纳米尺寸，具有仿生特性和优异理化性能的纳米材料在软骨再生中具有广阔的应用前景。该项目的目标是通过3D生物打印和生物启发纳米材料创建一种新型的3D纳米、微型和化学软骨结构，并研究它们在体外促进人骨髓间充质干细胞（MSC）生长和软骨分化的作用。为了实现这一目标，提出的方法是设计两种具有纳米结构和持续生长因子递送的生物启发纳米材料。随后，将制作包含这两种创新纳米材料的3D生物打印软骨结构，并在体外评估MSC功能。通过这项研究，研究人员希望创建新的3D生物打印纳米软骨结构，并探索一个时空生物活性因子环境，以刺激MSC软骨原位分化和软骨再生。使用尖端的3D生物打印预计会引起学生和公众的广泛兴趣。将提出一系列计划，将研究活动与广泛而多样化的受众（包括高中生、本科生、研究生和住院医生）的教育结合起来。所提出的努力将对不同层次的学生产生显著的教育效果，并激励他们在这些多学科领域探索令人兴奋的新途径。

PI: Zhang, Lijie GraceProposal Number: 1510561Articular cartilage is a tissue notoriously hard to regenerate due to its extremely poor regenerative properties. Even small cartilage defects are permanent and difficult to heal. No currently available treatment provides a perfect solution. As an emerging 3D tissue manufacturing technique, 3D bioprinting offers great precision and control of the geometry of complex tissue scaffolds. If successful, this project has the potential to be impactful to the field of cartilage tissue engineering, leading to significantly improved human health. Moreover, the resultant 3D bioprinting design principles, stem cell regulation mechanisms and nanomaterials can serve as a translational foundation for other tissue/organ regeneration. This award is being made jointly by two Programs: (1) Biomedical Engineering, (2) Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering, both in the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems Division in the Engineering Directorate.Due to the nanometer dimension of human cartilage extracellular matrix, nanomaterials with biomimetic features and excellent physiochemical properties are promising in cartilage regeneration. The objective of this project is to create a novel 3D nano, micro, and chemical cartilage construct via 3D bioprinting and biologically inspired nanomaterials and to investigate their effects on promoting human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) growth and chondrogenic differentiation in vitro. Toward this objective, the proposed approach is to design two biologically inspired nanomaterials with a nanostructure and sustained growth factor delivery. A 3D bioprinted cartilage construct containing the two innovative nanomaterials will then be fabricated and MSC functions will be evaluated in vitro. Through this study, the investigators expect to create new 3D bioprinted nano cartilage constructs and explore a spatiotemporally bioactive factor environment for stimulated MSC chondrogenic differentiation and cartilage regeneration in situ. The use of cutting-edge 3D bioprinting is expected to invoke extensive interest among students and the general public. A series of plans to integrate research activities with the education of a broad and diverse audience, including high school students, undergraduate students, graduate students, and medical residents, will be presented. The proposed efforts will contribute to a significant educational effect on different levels of students and inspire them to explore exciting new pathways in these multidisciplinary fields.