A sturgeon cartilage extracellular matrix-derived bioactive bioink for tissue engineering applications

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting provides a promising strategy for tissue and organ engineering, and extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived bioinks greatly facilitate its applications in these areas. Decellularized sturgeon cartilage ECM (dSC-ECM)-derived bioinks for cartilage tissue engineering were fabricated with methacrylate-modified dSC-ECM (dSC-ECMMA) and sericin methacrylate (SerMA), which optimizedthe mechanical properties of their solidified hydrogels.dSC-ECM induces chondrocytes to form cell clusters and subsequently reduces their proliferation, but the proliferation of encapsulated chondrocytes was normal in solidified dSC-ECM-5 bioink samples, which contain 5 mg/mL dSC-ECMMA. Hence, this bioink was selected for further investigation. Lyophilized dSC-ECM-5 hydrogels showed connected pore microstructure, which is suitable for cell migration and nutrients transportation. ThisdSC-ECM-5 bioink exhibited high fidelity and good printability by testing via a 3D bioprinting system, and the chondrocytes loaded in printed hydrogel products were viable and able to grow, following incubation, in the cell culture medium. Solidified dSC-ECM-5 and SerMA bioinks loaded with chondrocytes were subcutaneously implanted into nude mice for 4 weeks to test the suitability of the bioink for cartilage tissue engineering. Compared to the SerMA bioink, the dSC-ECM-5 bioink significantly enhanced cartilage tissue regeneration and maturation in vivo, suggesting the potential of this bioink to be applied in cartilage tissue engineering in the future.