Platelet-rich-based biopolymeric hydrogel applied to 3D bioprinting for tissue regeneration synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Platelet-rich-based hydrogel films were obtained by sol-gel inorganic polymerization method, and deposited by homemade syringe-extrusion 3D printing technique. The proposed method can reduce the time needed to print soft bio-hydrogel tissues, improving its use to replace animal tests. The effects of the heat treatment and the hydrogel composition on the morphological, structural, and biological characteristics of the films are also presented and discussed. The results demonstrated the importance of collagen concentration and stirring time in obtaining high-quality biopolymeric hydrogels. The results show that the higher concentration of collagen and an adequate stirring time contributed to greater crystallization of the hydrogels, bringing them closer to the characteristics of the standard sample that represents human tissue.