Abstract

3D Printing of Cytocompatible Light Curing Waterbone Polyurethane with Hyaluronic Acid and Gelatin for Cartilage Tissue Engineering Applications

Yu-Fang Shen, Postdoctoral Fellow, China Medical University Hospital

Water-based 3D printing photosensitive materials for customized cartilage tissue engineering with stereolithography technology is developed in this study. The printed composite scaffolds are suitable for culturing Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells and the cells showed an excellent chondrogenic differentiation capacity for cartilage tissue reconstruction. Diseases in articular cartilages have affected millions of people globally. One in five (22%) of the adults (50 million people and 300,000 children) in the United States suffer from some form of arthritis and that costs nearly the economy $128 billion every year. Although the cellular composition and simple biochemical of articular cartilages is relatively simple, there is the limitation in self-repair ability of cartilage. Here, we reported a new manufacturing process for water-bone polyurethane based photosensitive materials with hyaluronic acid and gelatin and applied the materials for 3D printed customized cartilage scaffolds. The scaffold has high cytocompatibility and is one that closely mimics the mechanical properties of articular cartilages. It is suitable for culturing Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs) and the cells showed an excellent chondrogenic differentiation capacity. We consider that the 3D printing composite scaffolds may have potential in customized tissue engineering and facilitate the development of cartilage tissue engineering.