The DOI matches its Crossref record; 242 of the 243 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Biofabrication strategies for 3D in vitro models and regenerative medicine
Open accessAbstract
Organs are complex systems composed of different cells, proteins and signalling molecules that are arranged in a highly ordered structure to orchestrate a myriad of functions in our body. Biofabrication strategies can be applied to engineer 3D tissue models in vitro by mimicking the structure and function of native tissue through the precise deposition and assembly of materials and cells. This approach allows the spatiotemporal control over cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix communication and thus the recreation of tissue-like structures. In this Review, we examine biofabrication strategies for the construction of functional tissue replacements and organ models, focusing on the development of biomaterials, such as supramolecular and photosensitive materials, that can be processed using biofabrication techniques. We highlight bioprinted and bioassembled tissue models and survey biofabrication techniques for their potential to recreate complex tissue properties, such as shape, vasculature and specific functionalities. Finally, we discuss challenges, such as scalability and the foreign body response, and opportunities in the field and provide an outlook to the future of biofabrication in regenerative medicine. Biofabrication can be applied to replicate tissues and organs for regenerative medicine and for the creation of 3D in vitro tissue models. In this Review, the recent advances in biomaterials and biofabrication technologies are discussed, and challenges and opportunities are highlighted.
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“Commonly chosen materials include Matrigel, other natural biomaterials (e.g., gelatin, fi brin, collagen, alginate, chitosan, hyaluronic acid), and synthetic polymers (e.g., PEG, PCL) [40,87].”
From 3D In Vitro Model (R)evolution: Unveiling Tumor–Stroma Interactions (2021) · cites this paper as [40]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Common limitations, however, include slow printing speeds, development of nontoxic and printable bioinks, and insuf fi cient reproducibility to create standard models [38,40].”
From 3D In Vitro Model (R)evolution: Unveiling Tumor–Stroma Interactions (2021) · cites this paper as [40]
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“Over the past decades, multiple 3D bioprinting methods have been improved to allow the design of complex cell-laden 3D constructs.”
From 3D In Vitro Model (R)evolution: Unveiling Tumor–Stroma Interactions (2021) · cites this paper as [40]
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“Each of these technologies is application-speci fi c and the choice depends on the type of bioink used [40,87].”
From 3D In Vitro Model (R)evolution: Unveiling Tumor–Stroma Interactions (2021) · cites this paper as [40]
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“In laser-assisted bioprinting, a high-intensity laser is used to deposit less-viscous bioinks for cell patterning, thereby preserving high cell viability.”
From 3D In Vitro Model (R)evolution: Unveiling Tumor–Stroma Interactions (2021) · cites this paper as [40]
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“Despite its cell-compatibility, this is the most complex and expensive method of printing [40,90].”
From 3D In Vitro Model (R)evolution: Unveiling Tumor–Stroma Interactions (2021) · cites this paper as [40]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Biofabrication technologies, such as bioprinting, enable programmed assembly of cells into complex 3D geometries24,25.”
From 3D bioprinting of high cell-density heterogeneous tissue models through spheroid fusion within self-healing hydrogels (2021) · cites this paper as [25]
In the citing paper
“Various biofunctional materials and cell types can thus be printed simultaneously onto a substrate of cell-compatible biomaterials to build 3D complex constructs with good spatial resolution and reproducibility (Fig. 3a)130,148–151.”
From Tumor-on-a-chip: from bioinspired design to biomedical application (2021) · cites this paper as [148]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Moroni, L., Burdick, J. A., Highley, C., Lee, S. J., Morimoto, Y., Takeuchi, S., & Yoo, J. J.
- Affiliations
- Maastricht University (NL)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences (US)
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Moroni, Lorenzo
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nature Reviews Materials
- Published
- 2018-04-26
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 21-37
- ISSN
- 2058-8437 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6586020
- OpenAlex
- W2799893835
- Cited by
- 753
- References
- 243
- Citations by year
- 2026: 57 · 2025: 103 · 2024: 89 · 2023: 104 · 2022: 104 · 2021: 129 · 2020: 97 · 2019: 54 · 2018: 13
- FWCI
- 5.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- correction (2018-05-03)
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature Reviews Materials (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- AO Foundation
- National Institutes of Health
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (16H06329)
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (P41EB023833)
- H2020 European Research Council (637308)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › 3D Printing in Biomedical Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications
- Keywords
- biofabrication, regenerative medicine, bioprinting, biomaterials, supramolecular materials, photoresponsive materials, tissue engineering, vascular system, foreign body reaction, scalability, organ models
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