3D puzzle-inspired construction of large and complex organ structures for tissue engineering

3D printing as a powerful technology enables the fabrication of organ structures with a programmed geometry, but it is usually difficult to produce large-size tissues due to the limited working space of the 3D printer and the instability of bath or ink materials during long printing sessions. Moreover, most printing only allows preparation with a single ink, while a real organ generally consists of multiple materials. Inspired by the 3D puzzle toy, we developed a building block-based printing strategy, through which the preparation of 3D tissues can be realized by assembling 3D-printed small and simple bio-blocks into large and complex bioproducts. The structures that are difficult to print by conventional 3D printing such as a picture puzzle consisting of different materials and colors, a collagen soccer with a hollow yet closed structure, and even a full-size human heart model are suc-cessfully prepared. The 3D puzzle-inspired preparation strategy also allows for a reasonable combination of various cells in a specified order, facilitating investigation into the interaction between different kinds of cells. This strategy opens an alternative path for preparing organ structures with multiple materials, large size and complex geometry for tissue engineering applications.

Automated summary

3D printing is a powerful technology for fabricating organ structures, but it faces challenges in producing large-size tissues and using multiple materials. Inspired by 3D puzzle toys, researchers have developed a building block-based printing strategy that assembles small bio-blocks into large and complex bioproducts. They successfully prepared structures that are difficult to print using conventional methods, such as puzzles with different materials and colors, a hollow collagen soccer ball, and even a full-size human heart model. This strategy also allows for the combination of various cells in a specified order, enabling investigation of cell interactions. It offers an alternative approach for tissue engineering applications.