China3D printingNet September 27th, a group of researchers from the University of Montreal, Concordia University and Federal University of Santa Catarina successfully used the newly developed bioprinting technology3D printingLive mouse brain cells.
Scientists use laser-induced lateral transfer (LIST) technology to generate sensory neurons, which are an important part of the peripheral nervous system, most of whichBrain CellsIt was still alive two days after printing. The team conducted multiple tests to measure the ability to print cells, which they believe will help significantly advance the field of bioprinting.
Although this development is promising for the potential of bioprinting in disease modeling, drug testing, and implant manufacturing, sci-fi-style 3D printed brain organs and cell substitutes still have a long way to go.
Concordia University doctoral student Hamid Orimi said: “Generally speaking, when we talk about bioprinting, people tend to draw conclusions. They think we can now print things like human organs for transplantation.
Although this is a long-term goal, we are still far from that point. But there are still many ways to use this technology. “
LISTbiologyPrint brain cells
Laser-assisted bioprinting can support a wide range of bio-ink viscosities, with little impact on cell viability and function, while maintaining high printing resolution and repeatability. Scientists’ LIST bioprinting technology is an improved cell laser bioprinting process that overcomes various limitations of other bioprinting technologies, such as donor preparation challenges, ink viscosity, and cell viability.
This process uses low-energy nanosecond laser pulses to generate transient microbubbles at the distal end of a glass microcapillary with bio-ink. As the microbubbles expand, a cell-filled microprojection droplet is sprayed onto the underlying substrate. According to a previous study by Orimi, LIST can be suitable for applications that require multi-scale bioprinting, such as 3D drug screening models and even artificial tissues.
In the current study, the research team tried to verify the feasibility of using LIST to bioprint adult sensory neurons. The scientists used dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from the peripheral nervous system of mice to prepare bio-ink. The neurons are then suspended in the bioink solution and loaded into the square capillary above the biocompatible substrate.
After 3D bioprinting through the team’s LIST process, the samples were briefly incubated before being washed and re-incubated for 48 hours.
Laser-induced lateral transfer of neurons (LIST). The picture comes from a micro machine.
Evaluate 3D printed neurons
The team conducted multiple tests to measure the volume of 3D bioprinted cells. A viability assessment found that after two days of printing, 86% of the cells were still alive. When the laser uses lower energy, the survival rate will increase. As expected, it was found that the use of higher energy lasers is more likely to damage cells.
Further tests measured the growth of neurites, which refers to the production of new projections when developing neurons grow in response to guidance cues, neuropeptide release, calcium imaging, and RNA sequencing.
Researchers have observed that bioprinting does not affect the survival of DRG neurons, but it does reduce the growth of neurites. The research team also discovered that 3D printed neurons maintain the ability to communicate with environmental cells through peptide release.
In the end, the results are generally encouraging. Studies have shown that adult sensory neurons printed by LIST maintain high vitality and functional integrity. Scientists believe that this technology can make important contributions to the field of bioprinting, especially in drug discovery and reducing animal testing.
In the future, LIST bioprinting may help pave the way for fewer animals to be euthanized for experiments that benefit humans, and it can also produce more accurate results because the tests will be performed on human tissues instead of animal tissues.
Looking ahead, the team is seeking approval to continue their research on cell transplantation, which they believe can greatly aid drug discovery, such as nerve restoration drugs.
Bioprinting will not affect the survival of DRG neurons, but it will reduce the growth of neurites. The picture comes from a micro machine.
3D printingAdvances in brain cells
Orimi and his team are not the only ones exploring the potential of 3D bioprinting to produce nerve cells and structures.
Last year, a group of researchers at Tsinghua University 3D printed brain-like tissue structures that can cultivate nerve cells. After several weeks of in vitro culture, the initial nerve cells have formed a complex neural circuit that can respond to external stimuli.
Elsewhere, medical technology company Fluicell collaborated with clinical research and development companies Cellectricon and Karolinska Institutet to use its Biopixlar platform to 3D bioprint nerve cells into complex patterns. The partners are able to precisely arrange rat brain cells in 3D structures without destroying their viability. These structures show the potential to mimic neurological diseases and the progress of drug development.
Recently, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Science and Technology of China developed a new bioprinting method that uses customized bio-inks to treat spinal cord injuries. Bio-ink contains tissue loaded with neural stem cells, which can transmit instructions through pulses from the brain. Once implanted in the mouse, it can restore the movement of paralyzed limbs.
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