3D BIO-INK PRINTS CARTILAGE AND BONE (Orthopedics This Week)
Researchers at the University of Bristol School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine have developed a stem cell bio-ink that can produce 3D printed cartilage and bone implants. The new stem cell ink contains two different polymers. One is a natural polymer extracted from seaweed. The second is a synthetic polymer that causes the ink to solidify when temperatures are raised. The seaweed-based material provides the structural support that is deemed necessary to sustain cell nutrients.
The project is directed by Adam Perriman, M.D. who explained that the custom formulation can be extruded by a 3D printer to form complex living 3D architectures, which will start to transform from a liquid into a gel at 37°C. Perriman said, “Designing the new bio-ink was extremely challenging. You need a material that is printable, strong enough to maintain its shape when immersed in nutrients, and that is not harmful to the cells. We managed to do this, but there was a lot of trial and error before we cracked the final formulation.”
Perriman noted that the synthetic material is only temporarily present. “What was really astonishing for us was w...
