New materials for 3D tissue bioprinting developed at UNN
Using chitosan, a natural polymer, and polycaprolactone, a popular thermoplastic for 3D printing, Nizhny Novgorod chemists have developed a composition for bioprinting skin, bones, blood vessels and other tissues. This thermoplastic and biocompatible material will help regenerate damaged areas and then will be decomposed and eliminated from the body.
The material's strength, safety and non-toxicity have been achieved through the use of chitosan, whilepolycaprolactone is responsible for its plasticity and fusibility. To combine the polymers in one composition, scientists of the UNN Faculty of Chemistry used an organic solvent - dimethyl sulfoxide. The solution was treated with ultrasound and a homogeneous mass suitable for 3D printing was obtained.
“Polycaprolactone is already used to make artificial blood vessels. However, it does not react with water, thus increasing the risk of thrombosis. Chitosan, on the contrary, dissolves well in water and prevents such negative consequences. When decomposing, polycaprolactone provokes inflammation of tissues by releasing acid. Chitosan binds and 'neutralizes' the acid,” explained Ivan Lednev, one of the authors of the study, a researcher at the UNN Department of High Molecular Compounds and Colloidal Chemistry.
According to the scientists, by varying the ratio of polymers in the composition, it is possible to produce a variety of different types of tissues: from bio-bandages to artificial lung tissues. In the future, the Nizhny Novgorod chemists' technology may become an alternative even for titanium plates, which are used in case of large fractures, when the most difficult task is to restore contacts in the tissues. Implants made of chitosan and polycaprolactone will be flexible and strong enough.
“Our goal is to produce a filament for medical 3D printers. We have already tested the copolymer in bioprinting and now we are learning how to customise the compound for different applications. Moreover, we are planning to improve the material with additional substances,” said Ivan Lednev.
The study involved researchers from the Department of High Molecular Compounds and Colloidal Chemistry at the UNN Faculty of Chemistry with the participation of their colleagues from the UNN Institute of Biology and Biomedicine. The project follows up on the results of research on the binding of chitosan to polylactide, another material for 3D printing. The technology was patented in 2024 with the assistance of the Technology Transfer Centre of Lobachevsky University.
The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-13-00342 “Biocompatible biodegradable materials based on polysaccharides and collagen with bactericidal properties for tissue engineering”.
