Descrizione del progetto
Una piattaforma di biostampa 3D con testine della stampante intercambiabili
La biostampa 3D è la tecnologia con il potenziale più elevato per la progettazione di sostituti dei tessuti. Gli elementi chiave della biostampa 3D sono le testine della stampante e l’inchiostro biologico, costituiti da cellule vive e componenti extracellulari. La testina della stampante 3D controlla il deposito di inchiostro biologico e questi elementi non possono essere tra loro dissociati. Pertanto, il successo della biostampa di sostituti funzionali dei tessuti è direttamente collegato alla possibilità di una stampante 3D che supporta le caratteristiche di ogni inchiostro biologico progettato esplicitamente per ciascun compartimento di un tessuto specifico. Il progetto BioPrint4All, finanziato dall’UE, propone di testare e dimostrare la fattibilità di una piattaforma di stampa 3D su richiesta che combini più testine della stampante con caratteristiche diverse.
Obiettivo
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has been projected as one of the technologies with higher prospects to engineer tissue surrogates, which are i) an unquestionable demand for regenerative medicine and ii) an acknowledged upgrade of 2D in vitro cultures as reliable and predictive testing/screening systems for pharma and cosmetic industries. Despite the important milestones achieved so far, bioprinting functional tissues surrogates has proved difficult. The biggest challenge still is the fabrication of complex (different cell types and extracellular components) structures that work, as a whole, as in the native tissue, thus being physiologically relevant.
The key 3D bioprinting elements are the printer – more specifically the printing head – and the bioinks (live cells plus extracellular components). As the print head controls the deposition of the bioink, one cannot be dissociated from the other. Thus, the successful 3D bioprinting of functional tissue surrogates is directly linked to the possibility to have a 3D printer that supports the characteristics of each bioink designed explicitly for each compartment of a specific tissue. Therefore, a new mind-set in which an integrated development of the print heads (guaranteeing processability and cell-friendly conditions) and the bioinks (ideal combination of biomaterial and cell designed explicitly for each compartment of a specific tissue) is required.
This project proposes to prove the feasibility of having an on-demand 3D printing platform that can combine multiple print heads with different features, virtually at any combination. This strategy will foster reaching significant milestones in a shorter time and expectably at lower costs due to more straightforward and highly innovative scientifically-driven approaches.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept GrantIstituzione ospitante
4704 553 Braga
Portogallo