The effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the nervous system: a review of neurological impacts caused by human coronaviruses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide. While coronaviruses typically have low rates of neurotropic effects, the massive transmission of SARS-CoV-2 suggests that a substantial population will suffer from potential SARS-CoV-2-related neurological disorders. The rapid and recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 means little research exists on its potential neurological effects.

Indirect 3D bioprinting and characterization of alginate scaffolds for potential nerve tissue engineering applications.

Low-concentration hydrogels have favorable properties for many cell functions in tissue engineering but are considerably limited from a scaffold fabrication point of view due to poor three-dimensional (3D) printability. Here, we developed an indirect-bioprinting process for alginate scaffolds and characterized the potential of these scaffolds for nerve tissue engineering applications. The indirect-bioprinting process involves (1) printing a sacrificial framework from gelatin, (2) impregnating the framework with low-concentration alginate, and (3) removing the gelatin framework by an incubation process, thus forming low-concentration alginate scaffolds.

3D Printing of Neural Tissues Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using a Fibrin-Based Bioink.

3D bioprinting offers the opportunity to automate the process of tissue engineering, which combines biomaterial scaffolds and cells to generate substitutes for diseased or damaged tissues. These bioprinting methods construct tissue replacements by positioning cells encapsulated in bioinks into specific locations in the resulting constructs. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) serve as an important tool when engineering neural tissues.