Lung diseases kill millions yearly, and treatments are limited. Animal models for studying these diseases and testing drugs are not ideal. As reported in ACS Applied Bio Materials, researchers have created a mucus-based bioink for 3D printing lung tissue. This new development could help in studying and treating chronic lung conditions.
While lung transplants are an option, donor organs are scarce. Medications can only manage symptoms, not cure diseases like COPD and cystic fibrosis. Researchers often test new drugs on rodents, but these models may only partially reflect human lung conditions.
Bioengineers are using lab-grown lung tissue and 3D printing to better study and potentially treat these diseases. Ashok Raichur and his team developed this new bio-ink to support cell growth for more accurate models and treatments.
The team used mucin, a mucus component not widely explored for bioprinting. They combined it with methacrylic anhydride to create a new bioink called methacrylated mucin (MuMA). This was mixed with lung cells and hyaluronic acid to improve cell growth and adhesion.
The bio-ink was printed into patterns and exposed to blue light to form a stable gel with porous structures that support cell survival.
The gel’s pores allowed nutrients and oxygen to reach the cells, helping them grow into lung tissue. The printed structures were safe and biodegradable and could be used for implants or 3D lung models to study diseases and test treatments.
The study concludes that mucus-based bio-ink can effectively print and grow lung tissue, offering a new way to study and treat lung diseases.
Journal reference :
- Sruthi C. Sasikumar, Upashi Goswami, et al., 3D Bioprinting with Visible Light Cross-Linkable Mucin-Hyaluronic Acid Composite Bioink for Lung Tissue Engineering. ACS Applied Bio Materials. DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00579.