3D Freeform Printing of Nanocomposite Hydrogels through Precipitation in Reactive Viscous Fluid.

Composite hydrogels have gained great attention as three-dimensional (3D) printing biomaterials because of their enhanced intrinsic mechanical strength and bioactivity compared to pure hydrogels. In most conventional printing methods for composite hydrogels, particles are preloaded in ink before printing, which often reduces the printability of composite ink with little mechanical improvement due to poor particle-hydrogel interaction of physical mixing. In contrast, the incorporation of nanoparticles into a hydrogel during 3D printing achieves uniform distribution of particles with remarkable mechanical reinforcement, while precursors dissolved in inks do not influence the printing process.

Novel method to improve vascularization of tissue engineered constructs with biodegradable fibers.

Tissue engineered grafts lack adequate vascularization and suffer from poor perfusion in vivo curtailing clinical application. Improving vascularization in any tissue implants would hence increase their survivability and treatment efficacy. Many prevascularization strategies established to date involves the angiogenic induction of endothelial progenitor cells in thick tissue engineered scaffolds to obtain vascularization.