Abstract

Biofabrication Technologies to Control Cell Fate

Lorenzo Moroni, Professor in Biofabrication for Regenerative Medicine, Chair of Complex Tissue Regeneration Department, Maastricht University & MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine

Organs are complex systems, comprised of different tissues, proteins, and cells, which communicate to orchestrate a myriad of functions in our bodies. Biofabrication technologies can be instrumental to replicate these structures towards the development of new therapies for tissue and organ repair, as well as for in vitro 3D models to better understand the morphogenetic biological processes that drive organogenesis. To construct tissues and organs, biofabrication strategies are being developed to impart spatiotemporal control over cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix communication, often through control over cell and material deposition and placement. Here, we present some of our most recent advancements in biofabrication and biomaterial design that enabled the control of cell activity, moving towards enhanced tissue regeneration as well as the possibility to create more complex 3D in vitro models to study biological processes. These strategies can also find use in space, with a double purpose: on one side to use space as an accelerator of ageing on Earth, on the other side offering a possible set of emergency tools for the crew of deep space manned missions.