3D-Printed Bioadhesive Interfaces as Proliferative Niches for Tissue Repair.

Abstract

Bioadhesives have traditionally been viewed as materials for wound closure, sealing and haemostasis However, in tissue repair they also create the first engineered interface that influences cell retention, microenvironmental homeostasis and subsequent remodelling Recent advances in 3D printing are shifting bioadhesives from passive, uniform layers to architecturally controlled interfaces with spatially programmable chemistry, mechanics, transport and biological function. In this Review, we propose an interface-centred framework in which qualifying 3D-printed bioadhesive interfaces function as proliferative niches. Such interfaces require stable host-tissue adhesion and a biocompatible, cell-permissive microenvironment. They should also measurably support cell survival, context-appropriate proliferation and constructive remodelling in defined target-cell populations. We summarize the key design principles that govern proliferative-niche formation, with printability-aware fabrication treated as a cross-cutting prerequisite for implementing interfacial adhesion, mechanical matching, mass transport, surface chemistry and temporal evolution. We then discuss the mechanistic basis through which printed bioadhesive interfaces regulate early protein adsorption, immune activation, mechanotransduction, metabolic exchange and long-term remodelling trajectories. Representative application contexts, including sealing and haemostasis musculoskeletal repair, wearable and implantable biointerfaces and organoid-related in vitro models, are examined to highlight application-specific opportunities and trade-offs. We further outline emerging evaluation and modelling frameworks that move beyond adhesion strength towards multidimensional assessment, cross-scale structure-property-function mapping and data-driven predictive design. By reframing bioadhesives as active interfacial regulators rather than passive fixation materials, this Review provides a conceptual framework for engineering 3D-printed bioadhesives that not only adhere and seal, but also actively guide constructive tissue repair.