Fabrication of tissue scaffolds using projection micro-stereolithography

Abstract

In vitro liver models are a critical tool in pharmaceutical research, yet standard hepatocyte cultures fail to capture the complexity of in vivo tissue behavior. One of the most critical features of the in vivo liver is the extensive microvasculature which allows for the delivery of nutrients and metabolites without exposing hepatocytes to de-differentiating fluidic shear stresses. A new liver tissue scaffold design able to capture this histological organization may therefore improve the functional longevity of seeded hepatocytes. The additive manufacturing technique of projection micro-stereolithography (PuSL) proved capable of building non-cytotoxic and highly complex 3D structures with microvasculature on the order of 20 um inner diameter. While extensive biological testing remains to be carried out, the built structures reveal much promise in PuSL as a method of tissue scaffold fabrication in terms of in vivo mimicking architecture.