3D printing of cytocompatible gelatin-cellulose-alginate blend hydrogels

Abstract

3D bioprinting of hydrogels has gained great attention due to its potential to manufacture intricate and customized scaffolds that provide favored conditions for cell proliferation. Nevertheless, plain natural hydrogels can be easily disintegrated, and their mechanical strengths are usually insufficient for printing process. Hence, composite hydrogels are developed for 3D printing. This study aims to develop a hydrogel ink for extrusion-based 3D printing which is entirely composed of natural polymers, gelatin, alginate, and cellulose. Physicochemical interactions between the components of the intertwined gelatin-cellulose-alginate network are studied via altering copolymer ratios. The structure of the materials and porosity are assessed using infrared spectroscopy, swelling, and degradation experiments. The utility of this approach is examined with two different crosslinking strategies using glutaraldehyde or CaCl2. Multilayer cylindrical structures are successfully 3D printed, and their porous structure is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyses. Moreover, cytocompatibility of the hydrogel scaffolds is confirmed on fibroblast cells. The developed material is completely natural, biocompatible, economical, and the method is facile. Thus, this study is important for the development of advanced functional 3D hydrogels that have considerable potential for biomedical devices and artificial tissues.