Bioprinting-based Strategies for Regenerative Medicine, Drug Development and Food Technology Applications
Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal3D bioprinting; 3D hierarchical scaffolds; Osteochondral tissue engineering; Additive manufacturing; Bioreactors
João Carlos Silva(JCS) is a Research Assistant(Tenure-track) at the Stem Cell Engineering Research Group(SCERG) from the Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences(iBB), where is the PI of the Biomimetic and Functional Regenerative Biomaterials Lab. JCS received his PhD in Bioengineering – Cell Therapies and Regenerative Medicine (Distinction and Honours) in 2019 from Instituto Superior Técnico(IST) – Universidade de Lisboa and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute(NY-USA). JCS was also awarded a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship(2024-2025) to develop innovative bioreactor-based platforms for investigating the key mechanobiology mechanisms involved in osteochondral tissue maintenance and regeneration.
His research group focus mainly on: i) tailoring biomaterials structure and composition to mimic stem cell microenvironments; ii) development of novel biomimetic and bioactive scaffold-based approaches for regenerative medicine and in vitro disease modelling applications with particular focus on bone, periodontal and articular cartilage regeneration; and iii) design and prototyping of bioreactor devices for the fabrication of tissue-engineered constructs under controlled “in vivo-like” biophysical stimulation.
Dear colleagues:
3D bioprinting allows the fabrication of highly complex 3D structures composed by biocompatible materials and living cells in a rapid, versatile and reproducible manner. Thus, 3D bioprinting holds great potential in the development of novel biomimetic tissue/organ transplants to address the organ shortage crisis, as well as more reliable in vitro 3D models for drug testing and disease modeling, mitigating the need for animal models. Besides this, 3D bioprinting is also becoming a promising tool towards the production of cell-based or cultivated meat. This thriving field has experienced substantial development over the last five years, aimed at developing food products in a more sustainable and ethical way.
This special issue aims to gather manuscripts (original research, review, perspective and short communication articles) highlighting recent advancements on the development of novel bioinks and bioprinting-based strategies for applications in the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, drug development, and food biotechnology/industry.
Multimaterial and multiscale scaffold for engineering enthesis organ
3D (bio)printing of magnetic hydrogels: Formulation and applications in tissue engineering