Rapid printing of 3D porous scaffolds for breast reconstruction

Prosthesis implantation and fat transplantation are common breast reconstruction methods. In general, prosthesis implantation alone does not achieve a realistic enough appearance, and fat transplantation alone is difficult to achieve in the correct capacity. To date, no reports have focused on methods of combining fat with implanted prostheses for breast reconstruction. Using a newly designed bionic ink (i.e., polyether F127 diacrylate (F127DA) & poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA)) and projection-based three-dimensional bioprinting (PBP), we report the development of a new method for printing porous prostheses. PEGDA was used to improve the printing precision of the prosthesis by increasing the gel point of F127DA and reducing the impact of external temperature. The compression modulus of the printed prosthesis was very close to that of prostheses currently used in clinical practice and to that of natural breasts. Finally, stromal vascular fraction gel (SVF-gel), a human fat extract, was injected into the pores of the synthesized prostheses to prepare a prosthesis mixed with adipose tissue. These were implanted subcutaneously in nude mice to observe their biological performance. After 14 and 28 days of observation, the prosthesis showed good biocompatibility, and adipose tissues grew well in and around the prosthesis. This result shows that a porous prosthesis containing pre-placed adipose tissues is a promising breast reconstruction material.

Automated summary

A new method for breast reconstruction was developed using a newly designed bionic ink and projection-based three-dimensional bioprinting. The porous prosthesis printed with this method showed good biocompatibility when implanted subcutaneously in nude mice, suggesting its potential as a promising breast reconstruction material when combined with pre-placed adipose tissues.