Modification of ECM-Based Hydrogel for 3D Printing of Tissues

Tissue engineering is an emerging field, which combines life and materials science to provide solutions for damaged tissues and organs. This approach involves the combination of cells and 3D biomaterials to develop a living tissue. The latter is then cultivated and matured in the lab and finally implanted to restore the function of the defected organ. Recently, our group developed a personalized hydrogel, based on the patient own decellularized omentum tissue. This hydrogel, in combination with the patient own cells were used to engineer 3D printed personalized implants. Although these implants were robust, in order to engineer complex tissues with heterogonous stiffness, we sought to improve and enable control over the hydrogel’s mechanical properties. In this work, the synthesis of a hybrid material, based on the omentum hydrogel and additional synthetic photo curable molecules is described. This novel, autologous, hybrid hydrogel, has the ability to be crosslinked by exposure to UV light, changing its mechanical properties. Most importantly, the synthesis reaction allowed for the retention of fundamental biochemical and biocompatibility characteristics of the native omentum. The mechanical properties, surface characteristics and biocompatibility qualities of the hybrid hydrogel were tested and measured. We hypothesize that this material may be particularly useful as a bioink for 3D printing, as it could be printed, layer by layer, while exposing each site to the required duration and intensity of radiation. This process represents a novel platform for creating mechanically heterogeneous and biocompatible environments, both are essential for the regeneration of tissues.