3D Bioprinted Pancreatic Endocrine Tissue

Multiple challenges are associated with the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic diseases. The pancreas is a lobular organ that is situated deep in the abdomen and comprises endocrine and exocrine regions. Diabetes develops in the endocrine pancreas and causes impaired glucose homeostasis. Disease progression can cause multiple problems including dental and gum diseases, sight loss, ulcers, strokes and, in severe cases, mortality. No cure currently exists for diabetes.

A strong motivation exists to develop disease models and pharmaceuticals for pancreatic diseases. However, limited access to in vivo pancreatic tissue has impeded progress in this field.

Three dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a promising new technology for in vitro engineering of biological tissue. It allows for accurate deposition of cell-laden biomaterials in a spatially defined manner to mimic the native tissue structure. Utilization of this technology could pave the way towards creating functional tissue ex vivo, greatly advancing the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

This research aims to 3D bioprint pancreatic endocrine tissue for use in disease modelling and pharmaceutical testing. We printed beta-like cells, the endocrine cells responsible for lowering blood glucose level, in a biocompatible cell-ink. We ascertained that these cells maintain their glucose sensitivity whilst encapsulated in the cell-ink, as they secreted insulin in a concentration dependent manner upon exposure to varying glucose levels. We combined endothelial cells with support cells in the cell-ink and saw vessel formation.

The results of this research show exciting potential to create a 3D printed vascularized pancreatic endocrine tissue construct.