Advances in 3D Bioprinting

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a promising approach for engineering functional tissues and organs by layer-by-layer precise positioning of biological materials, living cells, and biochemical components. Compared with nonbiological printing, 3D bioprinting involves additional complexities and technical challenges owing to the processing of living cells, such as the appropriate biomaterials that fulfill the requirements for both printability and functionality. In this review, we first introduce the development course of 3D bioprinting, highlighting innovative forms of living building blocks and advances in enabling techniques of 3D bioprinting. We then summarize the state-of-the-art advancements in 3D bioprinting for biomedical applications, including macroscale tissue or organ bioprinting, disease modeling, microphysiological systems, biobots, and bioprinting in space. Despite the rapid development of 3D bioprinting over the past decades, most 3D bioprinted tissue or organ constructs are still far from being suitable for clinical translation, and it is necessary for the field of bioprinting to shift its focus from shape mimicking towards functionality development. Therefore, we provide our perspectives on this burgeoning field with an emphasis on functional maturation post printing and translational applications at the bedside.