Gel-Inks for 3D Printing in Corneal Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Corneal transplantation from donor tissue is one of the primary healing of cornea diseases. However, the scarcity of donor tissue is a serious problem. Tissue engineering approaches offer an alternative recourse for corneal regeneration. Corneal tissue engineering (CTE) can provide tissue substitute to preserve and enhance corneal functions combining cells, bioactive molecules, and three-dimensional scaffolds for native cornea transplantation. 3D printing is a novel and rising process for constructing layer-by-layer fabrication of these materials in clinical applications. Among the different materials, gel-based inks are remarkable materials to use as ink in the 3D printing. In view of the printability feature of the inks, the processing abilities of the gel-ink formulation is an important parameter to consider. Furthermore, to produce gel-ink with transparency, non-toxicity, and mechanical properties almost identical to the human cornea have a vital role in replacing corneal tissues. Herein, the desired properties for selecting gel-inks and combination and characterization of inks for 3D printing in CTE are presented in detail.