Project description
The future of cardiac tissue engineering
Heart disease is a leading cause of death, and better tools are needed to test treatments effectively. Myocardial cell constructs, like organoids or organs-on-chips, show promise as alternatives to animal testing, but they often fail to mimic the intricate structure of natural heart tissue. While 3D bioprinting holds potential, current methods are either too slow or incapable of producing the detailed structures required. In this context, the EIC-funded SONOCRAFT project will use ultrasonic particle manipulation and rapid volumetric 3D printing to create centimetre-long, aligned cardiac constructs within hydrogels, complete with artificial vasculature for oxygen and nutrient flow. This platform, equipped with advanced features like precise cell patterning, aims to transform tissue engineering, drug testing, and regenerative medicine.
Objective
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. Efficient drug testing and disease models are needed to reduce their death toll. Myocardial cell constructs, e.g. spheroids, organoids, or organs on a chip, hold promise as disease models and can reduce animal testing. Unfortunately, cell constructs often lack the natural spatial complexity of their in-vivo counterparts, and consequently the cells remain immature and non-differentiated.
Although, 3D printing offers great flexibility regarding the printed structure some limitations apply: the printing process is either slow, or not suited for printing the small-scale nested structures needed to create viable and functional myocardial cell constructs. To 3D bio print viable myocardial cell constructs, we must therefore break through several roadblocks limiting the potential of bioprinting.
Our solution, coined SONOCRAFT, combines rapid volumetric 3D printing technology with ultrasonic particle manipulation to create centimetre-long aligned cardiac constructs within hydrogels. An artificial vasculature, incorporated within the hydrogel matrix, assures perfusion with oxygen and nutrients. Acoustic particle manipulation our tool of choice for cell manipulation as it is cheap, biocompatible, label-free and achieves the required resolution.
To reach the objectives SonoPrint is equipped with a range of advanced features: (i) an acoustophoresis chamber for precise cell patterning in 3D; (ii) microfluidic nozzles for injecting multiple cell types; (iii) moveable printheads for flexible cell deposition; (iv) a temperature-controlled cell culture incubator; and (v) full automation for user-friendly operation. The visionary SONOCRAFT holds potential to transform tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug screening, and disease modelling with its technological breakthroughs overcoming current limitations in the field.
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Keywords
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2024-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
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08007 Barcelona
Spain
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