Development of photocurable biological resins based on extracellular matrix for 3D Bioprinting of human tissues by stereolithography

• Grant number: 20/00961-4
• Support type: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: September 01, 2020 - May 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Fernanda Carla Bombaldi de Souza
• Grantee: Fernanda Carla Bombaldi de Souza
• Company: Tissuelabs Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Ltda
• CNAE: Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• City: São Paulo
• Assoc. researchers: Emerson Galves Moretto ; Gabriel Romero Liguori

Abstract

The development of biomaterials for application in 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs has been the focus of diverse research around the world. Conventionally, 3D bioprinting has been carried out with the help of extrusion technologies, but other interesting and advantageous techniques are gaining space. Stereolithography (SLA) has been increasingly used in biomedical and translational research due to its low cost and high resolution, speed, and cell viability. This technology is based on the photoreticulation process of photosensitive liquids called resins, to form gelled structures. The resins are formed by macromers, usually chemically modified, combined with photoinitiators. These can be activated by the incidence of UV or visible light, the latter being considered advantageous because it is less cytotoxic. The decellularized extracellular matrix of tissues, in turn, proves to be a promising material for use as a base for these resins, as it provides cells with a set of properties and signals similar to their native environment. In this context, the primary objective of this project is to develop photocurable biological resins with biochemical and mechanical properties suitable for application in 3D bioprinting of tissues using the stereolithography technique. For this purpose, hydrogels from the decellularized extracellular matrix will be chemically modified and combined with different photoinitiators to become photoreticulatable. The most promising formulations will also be combined with chemically modified polysaccharide compounds capable of photo and/or chemically induced cross-linking, in order to allow the modulation of the viscoelastic and rheological properties of the material. The structural, biochemical, and biomechanical properties of the hydrogels produced and their ability to support cell culture and 3D bioprinting will be evaluated. (AU)