3D-Printed Bio-Ink Uses Hyaluronic Acid

Innovation: Academia

Rutgers University

2020

Image: Karolina Grabowska / Pexels / CC BY - Creative Commons Attribution alone

Modify Size/Shape/Mass/Volume

Many living systems alter their physical properties, such as size, shape, mass, or volume. These modifications occur in response to the living system’s needs and/or changing environmental conditions. For example, they may do this to move more efficiently, escape predators, recover from damage, or for many other reasons. These modifications require appropriate response rates and levels. Modifying any of these properties requires materials to enable such changes, cues to make the changes, and mechanisms to control them. An example is the porcupine fish, which protects itself from predators by taking sips of water or air to inflate its body and to erect spines embedded in its skin.

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Modify Material Characteristics

The materials found in living systems are variable, yet often made from the same basic building blocks. For example, all insect exoskeletons consist of a material called chitin. Because material resources are limited, each material within or used by a given living system must frequently serve multiple purposes. Therefore, living systems have strategies to modify materials’ softness, flexibility, and other characteristics. To ensure survival, the benefits of these modifications must outweigh the living system’s energy and material expenditure to generate them. For example, spiders store the liquid components of spider silk in a gland, converting them into silk thread when needed. Some threads have different characteristics, such as elasticity and UV reflectance, than others.

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Bio-ink from Rutgers University contains a modified version of hyaluronic acid that helps the printed ink hold a stiff structure.

Benefits

Customizable
Reduced cost
Rapid manufacturing

Applications

Medical implants
Medical treatment

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing
Goal 9: Industry Innovation & Infrastructure

The Challenge

Bioengineered tissues hold enormous potential for medicine, as they allow for regenerative, personalized tissues to be made on-demand and are customizable to each patient. Many biomaterials are used to 3D print scaffolds, temporary structures to grow tissues. Unfortunately, the biomaterials are oftentimes expensive and very fragile, making them challenging to manufacture.

Innovation Details

The bio-ink material is made of modified hyaluronic acid and polyethylene glycol, which serve as the basic “ink cartridges” for 3D printing. This allow researchers to print scaffolding for growing human tissues, which can then be used to repair or replace damaged ones in the body. Depending on the type of tissue desired, the system could use different ‘ink cartridges’ featuring different cells or ligands, which could print scaffolds of different size and stiffness.

Biological Model

Hyaluronic acid is a natural molecule found in many tissues throughout the human body. It is a linear polysaccharide whose main function is to retain water to keep tissues well lubricated and moist. Hyaluronic acid plays an important role in regulating cell differentiation, migration, angiogenesis and inflammation responses.

see related strategy on how skin stays hydrated

black and white photograph of someone washing their hands

Biological Strategy

Skin Protects From Water Loss

Humans

The skin of humans regulates water movement with proteins, water-capturing molecules, and fats.

References

Journal article

Hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels with independently tunable mechanical and bioactive signaling features

AVS Biointerphases

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