Bio-printing of living organized tissues using an inkjet technology

This study is directed towards developing a novel and versatile method for creating complex tissue structures that use simultaneous ink-jetting of multiple cell types. To demonstrate this concept, 3 different cell types, consisting of human amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (hAFSC), smooth muscle cells (SMC), and bovine aortic endothelial cells (EC), were printed by a thermal inkjet printer to form a heterogeneous cell configuration. Each of the printed cell types maintained viability, proliferation, phenotypic expression, and normal physiological function within the complex structures in-vitro. The bio-printed constructs were able to survive and mature into functional tissues with adequate vascularization in vivo. These findings demonstrate that fabrication of complex hybrid tissue structures that require multiple cell types can be achieved by using the inkjet technology.