The scientist of Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) has created a technique to bioprint a cartilage type that has the ability to reinstate knee function broken by any injury or arthritis.
This cartilage is also called fibrocartilage, which helps connect tendons, ligaments, or bones and is typically found in the knee meniscus. The meniscus is the rubbery, tough cartilage that acts as a shock absorber in the knee joint. The collapse of the meniscus tissue affects millions of patients, and arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is one of the most widespread orthopedic operations performed. Besides surgery, there is a shortage of available successful treatment choices.
In this recent research, the scientists have been able to 3D bioprint a hybrid tissue constructed for cartilage regeneration by printing two specialized bioinks hydrogels that enclose the cells mutually to produce a new formulation. This method gives a cell-friendly microenvironment and structural integrity. This study is done with the help of an Integrated Tissue and an Organ Printing System. Organ Printing System refers to a 3D bioprinter made by WFIRM researchers by taking a long duration of 14-year. The system deposit both eco-friendly, plastic-like materials to create the shape of the tissue and bioinks that hold the cells to form new tissues and organs.
In this study, we have constructed a highly elastic hybrid construct for advanced fibrocartilaginous regeneration. The results show that this bioprinted construct provides a versatile and promising option for constructing this tissue type.
For the study, Lee and the WFIRM research team experienced various formulations and measured response to applied forces or stresses, the swelling ratio, and the material flexibility and strength. One gives the proper cellular microenvironment to preserve the cells and serving them grow while the other bioink offered excellent biomechanical behavior and structural integrity. The two bioinks formula used was co-printed layer by layer to generate a mesh-like model. The constructs were rooted in a small animal model for observation for ten weeks and evaluate at intermittent time durations, viewing proper function.
A superior preclinical study will be required to further examine the reaction of the body, and the functional recovery of the joint came after using a regenerative medicine treatment. We call for effective treatments and therapies to help patients manage degenerative joint problems, particularly the knee. This proof-of-concept study is paving the way in the right direction with the perspective that soon, scientists will engineer this crucial tissue that is so vital for patients.
The constant research and studies across the globe for developing an innovative method for cartilage repair regeneration is highly contributing to the growth of the cartilage repair regeneration market.