The Design and Characterization of a Strong Bio-Ink for Meniscus Regeneration

³ State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Division of Sports Medicine and Adult Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Drum Tower Hospital affiliated to Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

⁴ Hangzhou Lancet Robotics Company Ltd, Hangzhou, China

⁵ National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

⁶ Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, United States

⁷ Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Shanghai, China

⁸ Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for 3D Bioprinting, Nanjing, China

IJB 2022, 8(4), 600 https://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v8i4.600

Submitted: 11 April 2022 | Accepted: 27 May 2022 | Published: 8 August 2022

© 2022 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )

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Abstract

The meniscus is vital to the mechanical function of the knee, while it is frequently harmed because it bears a heavy load. A strong bio-ink for meniscus regeneration was prepared for the future meniscal tissue engineering. The prepared bioink consists of poly (vinyl alcohol) and decellularized extracellular matrix (PVA/dECM). The mechanical properties and the rheological features were explored to evaluate the effects of freezing/thawing cycles and alkaline treatment process. The printability was verified using a three-dimensional printer. The endothelial cells were employed to assess the biocompatibility. Finally, a 12-week rabbit meniscus defect model was established to evaluate the meniscus regeneration capability. We found that the bio-ink by soaking in alkaline for 40 min and 20 freezing/thawing cycles demonstrated excellent mechanical properties. The Young’s modulus reached 0.49 MPa and the stress limitation was 2.9 MPa. The results also showed good printability and biocompatibility of the proposed bio-ink in vitro. The PVA/dECM hydrogel healed the meniscus defect after 12 weeks of implantation. The articular cartilage and subchondral bone exhibited normal microstructure and composition. These results suggested that the PVA/dECM hydrogel could be a promising solution to repair meniscal lesions with preventive effects against degenerative meniscal tears and post-traumatic arthritis.

Keywords

Meniscus

3D printing

Strong bio-ink

Tissue regeneration

Decellularized extracellular matrix

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