A preliminary study for an intraoperative 3D bioprinting treatment of severe burn injuries.

Abstract Background: Intraoperative three-dimensional (3D) fabrication of living tissues could be the next biomedical revolution in patient treatment. Approach: We developed a surgery-ready robotic 3D bioprinter and demonstrated that a bioprinting procedure using medical grade hydrogel could be performed using a 6-axis robotic arm in vivo for treating burn injuries.Results: We conducted a pilot swine animal study on a deep third-degree severe burn model. We observed that the use of cell-laden bioink as treatment substantially affects skin regeneration, producing in situ fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), necessary for tissue regeneration and re-epidermalization of the wound. Innovation and Conclusion: We described an animal study of intraoperative 3D bioprinting living tissue. This emerging technology brings the first proof of in vivo skin printing feasibility using a surgery-ready robotic arm-based bioprinter. Our positive outcome in skin regeneration, joined with this procedure's feasibility, allow us to envision the possibility of using this innovative approach in a human clinical trial in the near future.

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3D bioprinting of integral ADSCs-NO hydrogel scaffolds to promote severe burn wound healing

Regenerative Biomaterials ◽

10.1093/rb/rbab014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Yu Wu ◽

Tangzhao Liang ◽

Ying Hu ◽

Shihai Jiang ◽

Yuansen Luo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wound Healing ◽

Umbilical Vein ◽

3D Bioprinting ◽

Severe Burn ◽

Burn Wound ◽

Hydrogel Scaffold ◽

Hydrogel Scaffolds ◽

Burn Wound Healing ◽

Severe Burns

Abstract Severe burns are challenging to heal and result in significant death throughout the world. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have emerged as a promising treatment for full-thickness burn healing but are impeded by their low viability and efficiency after grafting in vivo. Nitric oxide (NO) is beneficial in promoting stem cell bioactivity, but whether it can function effectively in vivo is still largely unknown. In this study, we bioprinted an efficient biological scaffold loaded with ADSCs and NO (3D-ADSCs/NO) to evaluate its biological efficacy in promoting severe burn wound healing. The integral 3D-ADSCs/NO hydrogel scaffolds were constructed via 3D bioprinting. Our results shown that 3D-ADSCs/NO can enhance the migration and angiogenesis of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs). Burn wound healing experiments in mice revealed that 3D-ADSCs/NO accelerated the wound healing by promoting faster epithelialization and collagen deposition. Notably, immunohistochemistry of CD31 suggested an increase in neovascularization, supported by the upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA in ADSCs in the 3D biosystem. These findings indicated that 3D-ADSC/NO hydrogel scaffold can promote severe burn wound healing through increased neovascularization via the VEGF signalling pathway. This scaffold may be considered a promising strategy for healing severe burns.

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