March 18, 2016

The revolutionizing field of 3D bioprinting has grown since 2003 to include tissue engineering and aid in advances in regenerative medicine. These printers are able to dispense materials to build a structure in the X, Y, and Z directions. In the study by Marskedt et. al., a bioink, combining nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) with the fast cross-linking ability of alginate, was formulated for the 3D bioprinting to grow living soft tissue with cells. The materials' behavior of the tested bioinks enabled printing of 3D constructs. Furthermore, anatomically shaped cartilage structures, such as a human ear and sheep meniscus, were 3D printed. Human chondrocytes bioprinted in the nanocellulose-based bioink exhibited a cell viability in the 3D culture. On the basis of these results, they concluded that the nanocellulose-based bioink is a suitable hydrogel for 3D bioprinting with living cells. This study demonstrates the potential use of nanocellulose for 3D bioprinting of living tissues and organs.