Development and evaluation of tissue-specific bioinks for 3-D printing of meniscus**********

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This project will establish a new collaboration between Aspect Biosystems, a Canadian biotechnology company specializing in 3-D bioprinting, and the Flynn lab at Western University, to advance Aspect's development of 3-D printed (3DP) engineered meniscus tissues as an innovative personalized medicine approach for the treatment of meniscal injuries. Building on the Flynn lab's expertise in the design of soft tissue-engineering strategies harnessing the pro-regenerative functionality of naturally-derived biomaterials, the main focus of this Engage project will be on the development of novel tissue-specific bioink formulations tuned to the unique composition of the meniscus that can be used to 3DP customized constructs that mimic the complex 3-D geometry of the human meniscus with high fidelity. This project addresses the critical need for new bioinks designed specifically for this application that can provide the biological cues required to support long-term cell survival and tissue integration in addition to enabling the printing of cell-seeded constructs with well-defined scaffold architectures. The developed bioinks will be tested using Aspect's proprietary 3-D printing platform, and their cell-supportive and pro-regenerative capacities will be probed in cell culture models using adult stem cells derived from fat as a potential therapeutic cell source. The long-term goals are to translate the bioink technologies to be of economic benefit to Canada and to apply the tissue-engineered meniscus constructs to advance towards more effective therapies to improve the quality of life of Canadians. This project will also provide unique training opportunities for highly qualified personnel in the Flynn lab, helping them to develop valuable skills for future careers in the biotechnology sector.**