Chapter 1 - Nanobiomaterials for three-dimensional bioprinting

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an emerging technological innovation in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This process has unique control on designing 3D scaffolds with superior mechanical strength and material degradation rate apart from the modulation of the cellular microenvironment, cell adhesion, cell proliferation, tissue formation, and exchange of nutrients and waste. Thus 3D bioprinting is advantageous over conventional scaffold fabrication techniques such as phase separation, freeze drying, porogen leaching, and electrospinning. Most 3D-printed biological constructs exhibit efficient control over scaffold geometry, pore size and distribution, pore interconnectivity, as well as internal channel construction. Despite a promising future, 3D bioprinting technologies for tissue regeneration are still in their infancy due to a lack of advanced biomaterials that can recapitulate the biocompatibility, elasticity, and complexity of native structures. This chapter provides in-depth knowledge about various modalities like inkjet bioprinting, bioplotting, fused-deposition modeling, selective laser sintering, and stereolithography. Further, nanomaterials based on ceramics, polymers, collagen-fibrin hydrogel, alginate, and hyaluronic acid have been developed for the 3D bioprinting regeneration of bone, cartilage, neural, vascular and complex tissues and organs are also discussed. Finally, we emphasize the importance of the fabrication of novel biomaterials to implement advanced 3D bioprinting technology in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.