Development of A Gelatin-Based Composite Bioink for Skin Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Skin is the outermost protective layer of the body, which makes it highly susceptible to injuries and trauma, and hence, it requires rapid and reliable regeneration. Striding progress has been made to bioengineer skin constructs, which are able to mimic the natural extracellular matrix. 3D bioprinting is an emerging field where live cell encapsulated bioinks play a critical role in replicating the extracellular matrix of tissues. However, several drawbacks associated with bioinks exist, which include compromise between printability and cytocompatibility, high cost, and the necessity to incorporate various drugs and molecules to compensate for poor bioactivity. Herein, a gelatin-based composite bioink has been developed for application in skin tissue engineering. The bioprinted scaffolds demonstrated a controlled swelling pattern and appropriate degradation profile, validating its long-term stability. FESEM images showed a highly porous and fibrous network within the scaffold, replicating the native extracellular matrix. The bioink also has good post-printing shape fidelity, good layer stacking potential and minimal collapse. Furthermore, the bioprinted scaffolds demonstrated very high hemocompatibility, with hemolysis 90% cell viability, and the Live/Dead assay demonstrated cell proliferation in the bioprinted scaffolds, which suggests that the bioink is highly biocompatible.