3D CELL BIOPRINTING FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE RESEARCH AND THERAPIES

Abstract

Tissue engineering tools and technologies are critical for regenerative medicine and the translational research supporting development of cell-based therapies. 3D cell bioprinting is a relatively new engineering tool being used to design 3D cell constructs (rather than cell suspensions) for transplantation therapies. In this review, we describe a broad range of printing technologies now being used to deliver cells and biomaterials in preclinical studies. We focus on 3D cell bioprinting, in which the building blocks (or 'bioink') used in printing process are three-dimensional cell structures, that are placed by the bioprinter into precise architectures to generate small tissues or organs. 3D cell bioprinting is a flexible research tool for basic and translational stem cell biology.