3D-Bioprinted Light-Sensitive Cell Scaffold Based on Alginate-Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Biophotonics Applications

The field of biotechnology has rapidly grown in recent years leading to unprecedent achievements in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Among latest high-tech available technologies, 3D bioprinting can be surely considered the most promising to develop complex structures mimicking organs and tissues, as well as functional 3D cell scaffolds. If supplemented with organic functional materials, engineered cell scaffolds can be used as bioelectronic interfaces and biomedical sensors. In this work, a novel 3D-bioprinted cell scaffold enhanced with light-responsive organic semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (100-nm hydrodynamic diameter, absorbance spectra peak at λ = 496 nm, and emission spectra peak at λ = 645 nm) is presented. The light-sensitive cell scaffold offers excellent biocompatibility and support of cell growth. The 3D-bioprinted biocompatible light-sensitive cell scaffolds can be used for light control and modulation of cellular activities in a 3D and real-mimetic tissue/organ-like environment, paving the way to new applications in neural engineering and regenerative medicine.