Hybrid 3D bioprinting systems for fabricating heterogeneous, vascularized tissue constructs

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While traditional 2D printers print on a flat surface, 3D printers enable the addition of another dimension in the vertical direction to build a complete 3D object in a layer-by-layer fashion. Analogous to this process, bioprinting seeks to deposit layers of biomaterials to build 3D body parts. Harvesting stem cells from a transplant recipient and printing them to build a replacement organ could help solve current organ transplantation problems such as long wait times and the immune rejection. However, existing 3D bioprinting technology is limited when it comes to printing heterogeneous tissues and organs with blood vessels, which are essential for the supply of oxygen and nutrients to cells that are constituent of these structures. This research project aims to develop a 3D bioprinting system that is capable of printing physically heterogeneous tissue structures with blood vessel networks, that are more reminiscent of natural tissues. The demand for fabricating such tissues has set the basis for the long-term research goal, which is to develop and optimize advanced 3D bioprinting systems to replicate the complex structures of natural tissues and to eventually realize the printing of whole organs. To accomplish this long-term goal, specific short-term objectives of this program include: (i) The investigation of a novel grayscale stereolithographic 3D bioprinting method to fabricate physically heterogeneous tissue scaffolds; (ii) The investigation of a laser diode-based extrusion bioprinting method to print hollow fibrous scaffolds for blood vessel regeneration; and (iii) The development of a method to fabricate heterogeneous, vascularized tissue constructs by integrating the stereolithographic and extrusion 3D bioprinting functionalities. This research program will make important contributions to the field of advanced biomanufacturing by enabling the printing of increasingly realistic complex tissue structures. Utilizing the unique advantages of the novel hybrid 3D bioprinting system, the proposed research will result in the creation of innovative 3D bioprinting technologies, new methods and design guidelines for tissue scaffolds, and first-of-their-kinds 3D bioprinting systems suitable for practical application. These intelligent, hybrid bioprinting platforms will find immediate application in the fields of regenerative medicine and drug discovery, thus benefiting both the health and economy of Canadian society. The research program will create new technological options in providing therapeutic treatments to Canadians suffering from various diseases and will also spark the creation of new jobs through start-up companies and technology transfer to Canadian companies. Moreover, this program will also provide interdisciplinary training to HQPs and make them equip them with required academic and professional skills for a long-term impact and new initiatives in advanced biomanufacturing and healthcare technologies.