Rheological Characterization and Printability of Sodium Alginate–Gelatin Hydrogel for 3D Cultures and Bioprinting
The development of biocompatible hydrogels for 3D bioprinting is essential for creating functional tissue models and advancing preclinical drug testing. This study investigates the formulation, printability, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of a novel Alg-Gel hydrogel blend (alginate and...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Mohan Kumar Dey Ram V. Devireddy |
| author_facet | Mohan Kumar Dey Ram V. Devireddy |
| author_sort | Mohan Kumar Dey |
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| description | The development of biocompatible hydrogels for 3D bioprinting is essential for creating functional tissue models and advancing preclinical drug testing. This study investigates the formulation, printability, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of a novel Alg-Gel hydrogel blend (alginate and gelatin) for use in extrusion-based 3D bioprinting. A range of hydrogel compositions were evaluated for their rheological behavior, including shear-thinning properties, storage modulus, and compressive modulus, which are crucial for maintaining structural integrity during printing and supporting cell viability. The printability assessment of the 7% alginate–8% gelatin hydrogel demonstrated that the 27T tapered needle achieved the highest normalized Printability Index (POI<sub>normalized</sub> = 1), offering the narrowest strand width (0.56 ± 0.02 mm) and the highest printing accuracy (97.2%) at the lowest printing pressure (30 psi). In contrast, the 30R needle, with the smallest inner diameter (0.152 mm) and highest printing pressure (80 psi), resulted in the widest strand width (0.70 ± 0.01 mm) and the lowest accuracy (88.8%), resulting in a POI<sub>normalized</sub> of 0.274. The 30T and 27R needles demonstrated moderate performance, with POI<sub>normalized</sub> values of 0.758 and 0.558, respectively. The optimized 7% alginate and 8% gelatin blend demonstrated favorable printability, mechanical strength, and cell compatibility with MDA-MB-213 breast cancer cells, exhibiting high cell proliferation rates and minimal cytotoxicity over a 2-week culture period. This formulation offers a balanced approach, providing sufficient viscosity for precision printing while minimizing shear stress to preserve cell health. This work lays the groundwork for future advancements in bioprinted cancer models, contributing to the development of more effective tools for drug screening and personalized medicine. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0fb1ef772b3b477480c4290935e78761 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2313-7673 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Biomimetics |
| spelling | doaj-art-0fb1ef772b3b477480c4290935e787612025-01-24T13:24:38ZengMDPI AGBiomimetics2313-76732025-01-011012810.3390/biomimetics10010028Rheological Characterization and Printability of Sodium Alginate–Gelatin Hydrogel for 3D Cultures and BioprintingMohan Kumar Dey0Ram V. Devireddy1Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USABioengineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USAThe development of biocompatible hydrogels for 3D bioprinting is essential for creating functional tissue models and advancing preclinical drug testing. This study investigates the formulation, printability, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of a novel Alg-Gel hydrogel blend (alginate and gelatin) for use in extrusion-based 3D bioprinting. A range of hydrogel compositions were evaluated for their rheological behavior, including shear-thinning properties, storage modulus, and compressive modulus, which are crucial for maintaining structural integrity during printing and supporting cell viability. The printability assessment of the 7% alginate–8% gelatin hydrogel demonstrated that the 27T tapered needle achieved the highest normalized Printability Index (POI<sub>normalized</sub> = 1), offering the narrowest strand width (0.56 ± 0.02 mm) and the highest printing accuracy (97.2%) at the lowest printing pressure (30 psi). In contrast, the 30R needle, with the smallest inner diameter (0.152 mm) and highest printing pressure (80 psi), resulted in the widest strand width (0.70 ± 0.01 mm) and the lowest accuracy (88.8%), resulting in a POI<sub>normalized</sub> of 0.274. The 30T and 27R needles demonstrated moderate performance, with POI<sub>normalized</sub> values of 0.758 and 0.558, respectively. The optimized 7% alginate and 8% gelatin blend demonstrated favorable printability, mechanical strength, and cell compatibility with MDA-MB-213 breast cancer cells, exhibiting high cell proliferation rates and minimal cytotoxicity over a 2-week culture period. This formulation offers a balanced approach, providing sufficient viscosity for precision printing while minimizing shear stress to preserve cell health. This work lays the groundwork for future advancements in bioprinted cancer models, contributing to the development of more effective tools for drug screening and personalized medicine.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/1/28bioprintinghydrogelalginategelatinrheological characterization |
| spellingShingle | Mohan Kumar Dey Ram V. Devireddy Rheological Characterization and Printability of Sodium Alginate–Gelatin Hydrogel for 3D Cultures and Bioprinting Biomimetics bioprinting hydrogel alginate gelatin rheological characterization |
| title | Rheological Characterization and Printability of Sodium Alginate–Gelatin Hydrogel for 3D Cultures and Bioprinting |
| title_full | Rheological Characterization and Printability of Sodium Alginate–Gelatin Hydrogel for 3D Cultures and Bioprinting |
| title_fullStr | Rheological Characterization and Printability of Sodium Alginate–Gelatin Hydrogel for 3D Cultures and Bioprinting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rheological Characterization and Printability of Sodium Alginate–Gelatin Hydrogel for 3D Cultures and Bioprinting |
| title_short | Rheological Characterization and Printability of Sodium Alginate–Gelatin Hydrogel for 3D Cultures and Bioprinting |
| title_sort | rheological characterization and printability of sodium alginate gelatin hydrogel for 3d cultures and bioprinting |
| topic | bioprinting hydrogel alginate gelatin rheological characterization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/1/28 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mohankumardey rheologicalcharacterizationandprintabilityofsodiumalginategelatinhydrogelfor3dculturesandbioprinting AT ramvdevireddy rheologicalcharacterizationandprintabilityofsodiumalginategelatinhydrogelfor3dculturesandbioprinting |