In vitro maturation and in vivo stability of bioprinted human nasal cartilage

• Published in: Journal of tissue engineering Vol. 13; p. 20417314221086368
• Main Authors: Lan, Xiaoyi, Liang, Yan, Vyhlidal, Margaret, Erkut, Esra JN, Kunze, Melanie, Mulet-Sierra, Aillette, Osswald, Martin, Ansari, Khalid, Seikaly, Hadi, Boluk, Yaman, Adesida, Adetola B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2022; Sage Publications Ltd; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Autografts; Cartilage; Chondrocytes; Collagen; Collagen (type I); Collagen (type III); Construction engineering; Design and Manufacture of Tissue Engineered Products using Additive Manufacturing Techniques; Extracellular matrix; Grafting; Hydrogels; In vivo methods and tests; Maturation; Mechanical properties; Morbidity; Reconstructive surgery; Skin cancer; Skin diseases; Three dimensional printing; Tissue engineering; tissue engineering; hydrogel; nasal cartilage; nude mice; septal chondrocytes; bioprinting; Skin cancer
• ISSN: 2041-7314; 2041-7314
• DOI: 10.1177/20417314221086368

The removal of skin cancer lesions on the nose often results in the loss of nasal cartilage. The cartilage loss is either surgically replaced with autologous cartilage or synthetic grafts. However, these replacement options come with donor-site morbidity and resorption issues. 3-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology offers the opportunity to engineer anatomical-shaped autologous nasal cartilage grafts. The 3D bioprinted cartilage grafts need to embody a mechanically competent extracellular matrix (ECM) to allow for surgical suturing and resistance to contraction during scar tissue formation. We investigated the effect of culture period on ECM formation and mechanical properties of 3D bioprinted constructs of human nasal chondrocytes (hNC)-laden type I collagen hydrogel in vitro and in vivo. Tissue-engineered nasal cartilage constructs developed from hNC culture in clinically approved collagen type I and type III semi-permeable membrane scaffold served as control. The resulting 3D bioprinted engineered nasal cartilage constructs were comparable or better than the controls both in vitro and in vivo. This study demonstrates that 3D bioprinted constructs of engineered nasal cartilage are feasible options in nasal cartilage reconstructive surgeries.