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Han Y, Wang H, Guan Y, Li S, Yuan Z, Lu L, Zheng X. High-precision 3D printing of multi-branch vascular scaffold with plasticized PLCL thermoplastic elastomer. Biomed Mater 2024; 19:035042. [PMID: 38636492 DOI: 10.1088/1748-605x/ad407c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a transformative technology for tissue engineering, enabling the production of structures that closely emulate the intricate architecture and mechanical properties of native biological tissues. However, the fabrication of complex microstructures with high accuracy using biocompatible, degradable thermoplastic elastomers poses significant technical obstacles. This is primarily due to the inherent soft-matter nature of such materials, which complicates real-time control of micro-squeezing, resulting in low fidelity or even failure. In this study, we employ Poly (L-lactide-co-ϵ-caprolactone) (PLCL) as a model material and introduce a novel framework for high-precision 3D printing based on the material plasticization process. This approach significantly enhances the dynamic responsiveness of the start-stop transition during printing, thereby reducing harmful errors by up to 93%. Leveraging this enhanced material, we have efficiently fabricated arrays of multi-branched vascular scaffolds that exhibit exceptional morphological fidelity and possess elastic moduli that faithfully approximate the physiological modulus spectrum of native blood vessels, ranging from 2.5 to 45 MPa. The methodology we propose for the compatibilization and modification of elastomeric materials addresses the challenge of real-time precision control, representing a significant advancement in the domain of melt polymer 3D printing. This innovation holds considerable promise for the creation of detailed multi-branch vascular scaffolds and other sophisticated organotypic structures critical to advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunda Han
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang, 110870, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, People's Republic of China
| | - Heran Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuheng Guan
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Song Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, People's Republic of China
| | - Zewei Yuan
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang, 110870, People's Republic of China
| | - Lihua Lu
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiongfei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, People's Republic of China
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Wang H, Hao Y, Guo K, Liu L, Xia B, Gao X, Zheng X, Huang J. Quantitative Biofabrication Platform for Collagen-Based Peripheral Nerve Grafts with Structural and Chemical Guidance. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2303505. [PMID: 37988388 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Owing to its crucial role in the human body, collagen has immense potential as a material for the biofabrication of tissues and organs. However, highly refined fabrication using collagen remains difficult, primarily because of its notably soft properties. A quantitative biofabrication platform to construct collagen-based peripheral nerve grafts, incorporating bionic structural and chemical guidance cues, is introduced. A viscoelastic model for collagen, which facilitates simulating material relaxation and fabricating collagen-based neural grafts, achieving a maximum channel density similar to that of the native nerve structure of longitudinal microchannel arrays, is established. For axonal regeneration over considerable distances, a gradient printing control model and quantitative method are developed to realize the high-precision gradient distribution of nerve growth factor required to obtain nerve grafts through one-step bioprinting. Experiments verify that the bioprinted graft effectively guides linear axonal growth in vitro and in vivo. This study should advance biofabrication methods for a variety of human tissue-engineering applications requiring tailored cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heran Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110169, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yiming Hao
- Department of Orthopaedics, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Kai Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110169, China
| | - Lianqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110169, China
| | - Bing Xia
- Department of Orthopaedics, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Xue Gao
- Department of Orthopaedics, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Xiongfei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110169, China
| | - Jinghui Huang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
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Redolfi Riva E, Özkan M, Contreras E, Pawar S, Zinno C, Escarda-Castro E, Kim J, Wieringa P, Stellacci F, Micera S, Navarro X. Beyond the limiting gap length: peripheral nerve regeneration through implantable nerve guidance conduits. Biomater Sci 2024; 12:1371-1404. [PMID: 38363090 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm01163a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Peripheral nerve damage results in the loss of sensorimotor and autonomic functions, which is a significant burden to patients. Furthermore, nerve injuries greater than the limiting gap length require surgical repair. Although autografts are the preferred clinical choice, their usage is impeded by their limited availability, dimensional mismatch, and the sacrifice of another functional donor nerve. Accordingly, nerve guidance conduits, which are tubular scaffolds engineered to provide a biomimetic environment for nerve regeneration, have emerged as alternatives to autografts. Consequently, a few nerve guidance conduits have received clinical approval for the repair of short-mid nerve gaps but failed to regenerate limiting gap damage, which represents the bottleneck of this technology. Thus, it is still necessary to optimize the morphology and constituent materials of conduits. This review summarizes the recent advances in nerve conduit technology. Several manufacturing techniques and conduit designs are discussed, with emphasis on the structural improvement of simple hollow tubes, additive manufacturing techniques, and decellularized grafts. The main objective of this review is to provide a critical overview of nerve guidance conduit technology to support regeneration in long nerve defects, promote future developments, and speed up its clinical translation as a reliable alternative to autografts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenio Redolfi Riva
- The Biorobotic Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Melis Özkan
- Institute of Materials, école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neural Engineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, école Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Estefania Contreras
- Integral Service for Laboratory Animals (SIAL), Faculty of Veterinary, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Sujeet Pawar
- Institute of Materials, école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ciro Zinno
- The Biorobotic Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrique Escarda-Castro
- Complex Tissue Regeneration Department, MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jaehyeon Kim
- Complex Tissue Regeneration Department, MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Wieringa
- Complex Tissue Regeneration Department, MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Francesco Stellacci
- Institute of Materials, école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 12, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Silvestro Micera
- The Biorobotic Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neural Engineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, école Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Xavier Navarro
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain
- Institute Guttmann Foundation, Hospital of Neurorehabilitation, Badalona, Spain
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Zennifer A, Thangadurai M, Sundaramurthi D, Sethuraman S. Additive manufacturing of peripheral nerve conduits - Fabrication methods, design considerations and clinical challenges. SLAS Technol 2023; 28:102-126. [PMID: 37028493 DOI: 10.1016/j.slast.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Tissue-engineered nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) are a viable clinical alternative to autografts and allografts and have been widely used to treat peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs). Although these NGCs are successful to some extent, they cannot aid in native regeneration by improving native-equivalent neural innervation or regrowth. Further, NGCs exhibit longer recovery period and high cost limiting their clinical applications. Additive manufacturing (AM) could be an alternative to the existing drawbacks of the conventional NGCs fabrication methods. The emergence of the AM technique has offered ease for developing personalized three-dimensional (3D) neural constructs with intricate features and higher accuracy on a larger scale, replicating the native feature of nerve tissue. This review introduces the structural organization of peripheral nerves, the classification of PNI, and limitations in clinical and conventional nerve scaffold fabrication strategies. The principles and advantages of AM-based techniques, including the combinatorial approaches utilized for manufacturing 3D nerve conduits, are briefly summarized. This review also outlines the crucial parameters, such as the choice of printable biomaterials, 3D microstructural design/model, conductivity, permeability, degradation, mechanical property, and sterilization required to fabricate large-scale additive-manufactured NGCs successfully. Finally, the challenges and future directions toward fabricating the 3D-printed/bioprinted NGCs for clinical translation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen Zennifer
- Tissue Engineering & Additive Manufacturing (TEAM) Lab, Centre for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials, ABCDE Innovation Centre, School of Chemical & Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, India
| | - Madhumithra Thangadurai
- Tissue Engineering & Additive Manufacturing (TEAM) Lab, Centre for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials, ABCDE Innovation Centre, School of Chemical & Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, India
| | - Dhakshinamoorthy Sundaramurthi
- Tissue Engineering & Additive Manufacturing (TEAM) Lab, Centre for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials, ABCDE Innovation Centre, School of Chemical & Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, India
| | - Swaminathan Sethuraman
- Tissue Engineering & Additive Manufacturing (TEAM) Lab, Centre for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials, ABCDE Innovation Centre, School of Chemical & Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, India.
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Sanchez Rezza A, Kulahci Y, Gorantla VS, Zor F, Drzeniek NM. Implantable Biomaterials for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration–Technology Trends and Translational Tribulations. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:863969. [PMID: 35573254 PMCID: PMC9092979 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.863969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of autografted nerve in surgical repair of peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) is severely limited due to donor site morbidity and restricted tissue availability. As an alternative, synthetic nerve guidance channels (NGCs) are available on the market for surgical nerve repair, but they fail to promote nerve regeneration across larger critical gap nerve injuries. Therefore, such injuries remain unaddressed, result in poor healing outcomes and are a limiting factor in limb reconstruction and transplantation. On the other hand, a myriad of advanced biomaterial strategies to address critical nerve injuries are proposed in preclinical literature but only few of those have found their way into clinical practice. The design of synthetic nerve grafts should follow rational criteria and make use of a combination of bioinstructive cues to actively promote nerve regeneration. To identify the most promising NGC designs for translation into applicable products, thorough mode of action studies, standardized readouts and validation in large animals are needed. We identify design criteria for NGC fabrication according to the current state of research, give a broad overview of bioactive and functionalized biomaterials and highlight emerging composite implant strategies using therapeutic cells, soluble factors, structural features and intrinsically conductive substrates. Finally, we discuss translational progress in bioartificial conduits for nerve repair from the surgeon’s perspective and give an outlook toward future challenges in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Sanchez Rezza
- Charité— Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt–Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yalcin Kulahci
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Vijay S. Gorantla
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Fatih Zor
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- *Correspondence: Fatih Zor, ; Norman M. Drzeniek,
| | - Norman M. Drzeniek
- Charité— Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt–Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany
- Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies (BSRT), Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Fatih Zor, ; Norman M. Drzeniek,
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