Mucus-Based Bioink Shows Promise for 3D-Printed Lung Tissue

Each year, lung illnesses claim the lives of millions of people worldwide. There are few available treatments, and animal models used to research these conditions and potential drugs are insufficient. Researchers have now successfully developed a mucus-based bioink for 3D printing lung tissue.

This study was published in the journal ACS Applied Bio Materials. This development may eventually aid in the investigation and management of chronic lung diseases.

Donor organs are still in low supply, even though some patients with lung disorders receive transplants. Alternatively, drugs and other therapies can be employed to control symptoms; nonetheless, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis have no known cure. In their ongoing search for improved drugs, researchers frequently use mouse testing.

However, these animal models might not adequately represent the complexity of human lung disorders, nor can they reliably forecast the safety and effectiveness of novel medications. In the meantime, lung tissue creation in the lab is being investigated by bioengineers as a possible material for implants or as a more realistic model to study human lungs.

One method is to manufacture human tissue-like structures using 3D printing, however, creating a bio-ink that is appropriate for promoting cell growth is still difficult. Thus, the goal of Ashok Raichur and associates was to get past this barrier.

Mucin, a mucus component that has not been well studied for bioprinting, was the team's first choice. A portion of the molecular structure of this antibacterial polymer is similar to that of epidermal growth factor, a protein that encourages cell adhesion and proliferation.

Methacrylated mucin (MuMA), created by reacting mucin with methacrylic anhydride, was combined with lung cells by Raichur et al. The viscosity of the bioink was raised by the addition of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring polymer present in connective and other tissues, which also improved cell adherence and development on MuMA.

The ink was subjected to blue light to crosslink the MuMA molecules after it was produced in test patterns, such as square and round grids. To assist cell viability, the crosslink bonds stabilized the printed structure, which took the shape of a porous gel that easily absorbed water.

The researchers discovered that the gel's linked holes promoted oxygen and nutrient diffusion, which in turn promoted lung tissue creation and cell growth. The printed structures may be used as implants in which freshly developed lung tissue would gradually replace the printed scaffold because they were harmless and biodegraded slowly under physiological settings.

Moreover, 3D models of the lungs might be created using the bioink to research the mechanisms underlying lung diseases and assess possible therapies.