Bioprinting: A focus on improving bioink printability and cell performance based on different process parameters

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an emerging biofabrication technique that shows great potential in the field of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and advanced drug delivery. Despite the current advancement of bioprinting technology, it faces several obstacles such as the challenge of optimizing the printing resolution of 3D constructs while retaining cell viability before, during, and after bioprinting. Therefore, it is of great significance to fully understand factors that influence the shape fidelity of printed structures and the performance of cells encapsulated in bioinks. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of bioprinting process parameters that influence bioink printability and cell performance, including bioink properties (composition, concentration, and component ratio), printing speed and pressure, nozzle characteristics (size, length, and geometry), and crosslinking parameters (crosslinker types, concentration, and crosslinking time). Key examples are provided to analyze how these parameters could be tailored to achieve the optimal printing resolution as well as cell performance. Finally, future prospects of bioprinting technology, including correlation between process parameters and particular cell types with predefined applications, applying statistical analysis and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) technique in parameter screening, and optimizing four-dimensional (4D) bioprinting process parameters, are highlighted.

Keywords: Bioink; Bioprinting; Cell performance; Printability; Printing parameters.