Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Bioink Selection

Abstract

Bioprinting is a rapidly emerging area of study within Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM) where live cells are be embedded in a solution (referred to as a bioink) and 3D printed into anatomically relevant geometries for in vivo implantation; this allows native tissues to regenerate better and faster. Most current research investigates the mechanical, rheological, and biological properties of bioinks, but few methods have been proposed to mathematically rank bioinks based on a set of application-focused, relevant criteria. In this study, we develop a general methodology to evaluate bioinks for the purpose of musculoskeletal tissue engineering, using multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) tools, including analytical hierarchy process (AHP), simple additive weighting (SAW), and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). GelMA-alginate, dECM, PEG-fibrinogen, collagen, and HA were all evaluated using the criteria of cell viability, shear thinning, printability, degradation rate, storage ability, and cost. Results include a comparison matrix showing the relative importance of each criterion as well as a ranking of each selected bioink from each ranking method. Future research should focus on building upon the proposed model by considering a larger set of bioink alternatives and criteria to demonstrate the model’s ability to handle large datasets, as well as updating evaluations with more current data regarding the properties of bioinks.