Mesenchymal stem cell printing and process regulated cell properties

This topical review with original analysis and empirical results compares cell sensitivity to physical stress during printing. The objective is to frame a reproducible causation between printing environment and printed cell morphology, viability and phenotype stability. Content includes: (1) a topical review classifies the overlap between physical stress vectors during printing and mesenchymal stem cell sensitivities. (2) Original flow analysis frames the feasible range of stress duration and intensity during manufacturing. (3) Preliminary empirical results define cell properties as a function of minimum, mean and maximum stress conditions. The review and analytical characterization serve as an essential precursor to interpret surprising empirical results. Results identify key cell properties are stress-dependent and controllable based on printing process parameter selection. Printing's minimum stress condition preserves cell viability. The maximum stress increases heterogeneity of cell response, induces inelastic ultra-structural distortion of the cell membrane and chromatin, and increases necrotic subpopulations post-printing. The review, analysis and preliminary results support the feasibility of modulating cell properties during fabrication by prescriptively tuning the stress environment. The process control over cell morphology, health and the rate of differentiation is both a direct result of strain during printing and an in-direct result of increased distress signaling from necrotic sub-populations.