Prof. Dr. Tomasz Jüngst (Würzburg, DE), Csaba Gergely (Würzburg, DE), Lisa Galaba (Würzburg, DE), Michael Bartolf-Kopp (Würzburg, DE)
Abstract text (incl. figure legends and references)
In the human body, tubular structures like the vascular or lymphatic systems are abundant. Since Biofabrication aims to mimic the hierarchy of natural tissues to improve the performance of biofabricated constructs, tubular geometries are highly relevant. Biofabricated tissue models should not only mimic the macroscopic structure and shape but also the microarchitecture of the tissue they replace. Besides the architecture, the biomechanics of the tissues should also be considered and tailored to the needs of the tissues models they are envisioned for. Taking these design criteria into account enables the generation of models with improved function and tissue specificity.
The objective of this work is to identify and demonstrate the compatibility of the combination of different fabrication techniques to generate tubular constructs with advanced properties for the generation of tissue models.
To produce fiber-reinforces tubular hydrogel constructs, we combined the novel bioprinting technology of volumetric printing with melt electrowriting (MEW). We could show that we can print structures around the tubes and make complex multi-material cell-laden constructs.
Bi-layered biomimetic tubular constructs are fabricated via a combination of solution electrospinning (solES) and MEW. To fine tune the mechanical properties of these scaffolds, several combinations of materials - PCL, poly(ester urethane) (PEU), acrylate-endcapped urethane-based PCL and blends of these - are used for solES to influence the over-all properties of the grafts. The mechanical properties of the cell seeded constructs are compared and adjusted to match the values of human tissues.
In conclusion, this presentation is demonstrating how the combination of different fabrication methods can be used to make hierarchical multi-layered tubular constructs with biomimetic architectures and adjustable mechanical properties.