RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Bioprinting the Tumor Microenvironment with an Upgraded Consumer Stereolithographic 3D Printer
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.12.30.474546
DO 10.1101/2021.12.30.474546
A1 Breideband, Louise
A1 Wächtershäuser, Kaja N.
A1 Hafa, Levin
A1 Wieland, Konstantin
A1 Frangakis, Achilleas
A1 Stelzer, Ernst H. K.
A1 Pampaloni, Francesco
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/12/31/2021.12.30.474546.abstract
AB A widespread application of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting in basic and translational research requires the accessibility to affordable printers able to produce physiologically relevant tissue models. To facilitate the use of bioprinting as a standard technique in biology, an open- source device based on a consumer-grade 3D stereolithographic (SL) printer was developed. This SL bioprinter can produce complex constructs that preserve cell viability and recapitulate the physiology of tissues. The detailed documentation of the modifications apported to the printer as well as a throughout performance analysis allow for a straightforward adoption of the device in other labs and its customization for specific applications. Given the low cost, several modified bioprinters could be simultaneously operated for a highly parallelized tissue production. To showcase the capability of the bioprinter, we produced constructs consisting of patient- derived cholangiocarcinoma organoids encapsulated in a gelatin methacrylate (GelMA)/polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel. A thorough characterization of different GelMA/PEGDA ratios revealed that the mechanical properties of the bioprinted tumor model can be accurately fine-tuned to mimic a specific tumor micro-environment. Immunofluorescence and gene expression analyses of tumor markers confirmed that the bioprinted synthetic hydrogel provides a flexible and adequate replacement of animal-derived reconstituted extracellular matrix.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.