Abstract

Recombinant Human Collagen Based BioInk for 3D Bioprinting

Nadav Orr, Vice President, R&D, CollPlant

Collagen, the major component of connective tissues, is frequently preferred for use in 3D printing of tissues and organs. Tissue extracted collagen however suffers from batch-to-batch inconsistency, structural damage, allergic response, risk of disease transmission, and exposure to residual components from the source tissue. CollPlant’s technology of engineered tobacco plants enables to produce a naïve human Type I collagen (rhCollagen) with excellent rheological properties[1]. The rhCollagen is thermally stable, preserves integrins and other essential binding sites and demonstrates bioactivity resembling that of native collagen. rhCollagen has excellent safety profile and shown superiority in-vitro and in-vivo over tissue extracted collagens[2,3]. Medical devices made of the rhCollagen were used to treat hundreds of humans in the fields of advanced wound care and orthobiologics. rhCollagen-methacrylate (rhCollagen-MA), curable by UV and visible light, was developed for 3D Bioprinting, allowing printing at wide range of conditions, including at room temperature. The unique viscosity and shear thinning properties of rhCollagen-MA allowed the flexibility to formulate BioInks compatible with all major printing technologies including extrusion, ink-jet, laser and stereolithography. Scaffolds made of rhCollagen-MA exhibited physical properties matching natural tissues and demonstrated excellent support for cells proliferation and vitality including a series of primary and differentiated human cells.