Title:Laser Assisted Cell Printing
VOLUME: 14 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):L. Koch, M. Gruene, C. Unger and B. Chichkov
Affiliation:Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V., Hollerithallee 8, 30419 Hannover, Germany.
Keywords:Cell printing, bioprinting, tissue engineering, laser induced forward transfer, scaffold, organ printing
Abstract:Computer assisted biofabrication of fully functional living tissue for regenerative medicine involves generation
of complex three-dimensional constructs consisting of living cells and biomaterials. Laser BioPrinting (LaBP) based on
laser-induced forward-transfer provides unique possibilities for the deposition of different living cells and biomaterials in
a well-defined 3D structure. LaBP can be applied to generate scaffold-free 3D cell systems through a layer-by-layer technique
by combining cell solutions with materials that are able to form stable gels. Also, it is used to precisely populate
scaffolds with different cells and different cell densities. It was proven that printed cells are not affected by the laser printing
procedure and that a differentiation of printed stem cells is not induced. Thus, LaBP is demonstrated as a promising
tool for the ex vivo generation of tissue replacements.
