Issue 31, 2024

A 4D printed nanoengineered super bioactive hydrogel scaffold with programmable deformation for potential bifurcated vascular channel construction

Abstract

Four-dimensional (4D) printing of hydrogels enabled the fabrication of complex scaffold geometries out of static parts. Although current 4D fabrication strategies are promising for creating vascular parts such as tubes, developing branched networks or tubular junctions is still challenging. Here, for the first time, a 4D printing approach is employed to fabricate T-shaped perfusable bifurcation using an extrusion-based multi-material 3D printing process. An alginate/methylcellulose-based dual-component hydrogel system (with defined swelling behavior) is nanoengineered with carbonized alginate (∼100 nm) to introduce anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-thrombotic properties and shape-shifting properties. A computational model to predict shape deformations in the printed hydrogels with defined infill angles was designed and further validated experimentally. Shape deformations of the 3D-printed flat sheets were achieved by ionic cross-linking. An undisrupted perfusion of a dye solution through a T-junction with minimal leakage mimicking blood flow through vessels is also demonstrated. Moreover, human umbilical vein endothelial and fibroblast cells seeded with printed constructs show intact morphology and excellent cell viability. Overall, the developed strategy paves the way for manufacturing self-actuated vascular bifurcations with remarkable anti-thrombotic properties to potentially treat coronary artery diseases.

Graphical abstract: A 4D printed nanoengineered super bioactive hydrogel scaffold with programmable deformation for potential bifurcated vascular channel construction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 Mar 2024
Accepted
05 Jun 2024
First published
27 Jun 2024

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024,12, 7604-7617

A 4D printed nanoengineered super bioactive hydrogel scaffold with programmable deformation for potential bifurcated vascular channel construction

A. Nain, A. Joshi, S. Debnath, S. Choudhury, J. Thomas, J. Satija, C. Huang and K. Chatterjee, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024, 12, 7604 DOI: 10.1039/D4TB00498A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements