Bioprinting of collagen: considerations, potentials, and applications

• Main Authors: Lee, Jia Min, Suen, Sean Kang Qiang, Ng, Wei Long, Ma, Wai Cheung, Yeong, Wai Yee
• Other Authors: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Engineering::Bioengineering; Engineering::Manufacturing::Polymers and plastics; Engineering::Chemical engineering::Polymers and polymer manufacture; Engineering::Materials::Biomaterials; Engineering::Mechanical engineering; 3D Bioprinting; Additive Manufacturing
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/163127
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Collagen is the most abundant extracellular matrix protein that is widely used in tissue engineering (TE). There is little research done on printing pure collagen. To understand the bottlenecks in printing pure collagen, it is imperative to understand collagen from a bottom-up approach. Here it is aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of collagen printing, where collagen assembly in vivo and the various sources of collagen available for TE application are first understood. Next, the current printing technologies and strategy for printing collagen-based materials are highlighted. Considerations and key challenges faced in collagen printing are identified. Finally, the key research areas that would enhance the functionality of printed collagen are presented.