Abstract
Advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques and the development of tailored biomaterials have facilitated the precise fabrication of biological components and complex 3D geometrics over the past few decades. Moreover, the notable growth of 3D printing has facilitated pharmaceutical applications, enabling the development of customized drug screening and drug delivery systems for individual patients, breaking away from conventional approaches that primarily rely on transgenic animal experiments and mass production. This review provides an extensive overview of 3D printing research applied to drug screening and drug delivery systems that represent pharmaceutical applications. We classify several elements required by each application for advanced pharmaceutical techniques and briefly describe state-of-the-art 3D printing technology consisting of cells, bioinks, and printing strategies that satisfy requirements. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations of traditional approaches by providing concrete examples of drug screening (organoid, organ-on-a-chip, and tissue/organ equivalent) and drug delivery systems (oral/vaginal/rectal and transdermal/surgical drug delivery), followed by the introduction of recent pharmaceutical investigations using 3D printing-based strategies to overcome these challenges.
Highlights
Published: 31 August 2021Since its introduction in the 1980s, three-dimensional (3D) printing has become a representative adjunct manufacturing technology
The ability of 3D bioprinting to recapitulate living tissues that are substantially similar to natural structures can overcome the limitations of existing preclinical models
Current pioneering drug screening research has proven the obvious benefits of 3D bioprinting technology, research into patient-specific drug development is still in its infancy
Summary
Since its introduction in the 1980s, three-dimensional (3D) printing has become a representative adjunct manufacturing technology. The multiple advantages of 3D printing and bioprinting have become a major driving force for the rapid development of pharmaceutical applications, including drug screening and drug delivery systems (Figure 1A). In an attempt to overcome the limitations of animal models, two-dimensional (2D)-based cell cultures have been employed as a screening platform for potential drug candidates. In addition to drug screening, the development of printable materials with various biodegradation profiles has facilitated the manufacture of drug delivery systems with individually controlled doses and customized medical devices that closely match the patient anatomical features [15]. Based on the strategy of 3D printing for more advanced drug screening and drug delivery systems, we introduce the recent pharmaceutical applications of 3D printing
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