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Synthesis of easily-processable collagen bio-inks using ionic liquid for 3D bioprinted liver tissue models with branched vascular networks

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Abstract

Bioprinting has been a flouring way to fabricate complex tissue and organ mimics via precisely depositing printable cell-laden biomaterials. However, there is a limited number of biomaterials that fulfill the mechanical property of printing while meeting the responsive environment desired for the cells. Despite excellent cell compatibility and bioactivity, collagen suffers from difficulties in processing and printability which inhibited its utilization in three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting. Herein, we address this limitation by using ionic liquid as the solvent in the modification process, enabling collagens modified with quantified norbornene for chemical crosslink and extrusion-based 3D printing. With improved solubility and rheological properties, norbornene-functionalized collagen (Col-Nor) exhibited better shape fidelity in extrusion-based 3D printing compared with the one before modification. Photo-crosslinked Col-Nor hydrogel provided structural support and promoted the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of various types of cells, which afforded a centimeter-scale liver tissue model. This highly generalizable methodology expands printable, versatile, and tunable hydrogels developed from the natural extracellular matrix, allowing the biofabrication of 3D liver tissue model with branched vascular networks.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA16020804, XDA16020802) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22021002, 22022705). We are grateful to the research group of Prof. Lijian Hui for the help with HUVEC and PHH cells.

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Zhiqiang Gao, Hao Zhao, Shengpeng Xia, Haotian Bai, Fengting Lv, Yiming Huang & Shu Wang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Xin Liu, Wenli Liu & Qi Gu

  3. Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China

    Xin Liu, Wenli Liu & Qi Gu

  4. College of Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Zhiqiang Gao, Shengpeng Xia & Shu Wang

  5. Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110169, China

    Xiongfei Zheng

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  1. Zhiqiang Gao
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  2. Xin Liu
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Correspondence to Yiming Huang, Qi Gu or Shu Wang.

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The supporting information is available online at http://chem.scichina.com and http://link.springer.com/journal/11426. The supporting materials are published as submitted, without typesetting or editing. The responsibility for scientific accuracy and content remains entirely with the authors.

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11426_2022_1472_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Synthesis of easily-processable collagen bio-inks using ionic liquid for 3D bioprinted liver tissue models with branched vascular networks

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Gao, Z., Liu, X., Zhao, H. et al. Synthesis of easily-processable collagen bio-inks using ionic liquid for 3D bioprinted liver tissue models with branched vascular networks. Sci. China Chem. 66, 1489–1499 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-022-1472-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-022-1472-6

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