RESUMO
Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) is an ideal bioink that is commonly used in bioprinting. GelMA is primarily acquired from mammalian sources; however, the required amount makes the market price extremely high. Since garbage overflow is currently a global issue, we hypothesized that fish scales left over from the seafood industry could be used to synthesize GelMA. Clinically, the utilization of fish products is more advantageous than those derived from mammals as they lower the possibility of disease transmission from mammals to humans and are permissible for practitioners of all major religions. In this study, we used gelatin extracted from fish scales and conventional GelMA synthesis methods to synthesize GelMA, then tested it at different concentrations in order to evaluated and compared the mechanical properties and cell responses. The fish scale GelMA had a printing accuracy of 97%, a swelling ratio of 482%, and a compressive strength of about 85 kPa at a 10% w/v GelMA concentration. Keratinocyte cells (HaCaT cells) were bioprinted with the GelMA bioink to assess cell viability and proliferation. After 72 h of culture, the number of cells increased by almost three-fold compared to 24 h, as indicated by many fluorescent cell nuclei. Based on this finding, it is possible to use fish scale GelMA bioink as a scaffold to support and enhance cell viability and proliferation. Therefore, we conclude that fish scale-based GelMA has the potential to be used as an alternative biomaterial for a wide range of biomedical applications.
RESUMO
Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), typically derived from mammalian sources, has recently emerged as an ideal bio-ink for three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting. Herein, we developed a fish skin-based GelMA bio-ink for the fabrication of a 3D GelMA skin substitute with a 3D bioprinter. Several concentrations of methacrylic acid anhydride were used to fabricate GelMA, in which their physical-mechanical properties were assessed. This fish skin-based GelMA bio-ink was loaded with human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs) and human platelet lysate (HPL) and then printed to obtain 3D ASCs + HPL-loaded GelMA scaffolds. Cell viability test and a preliminary investigation of its effectiveness in promoting wound closure were evaluated in a critical-sized full thickness skin defect in a rat model. The cell viability results showed that the number of ASCs increased significantly within the 3D GelMA hydrogel scaffold, indicating its biocompatibility property. In vivo results demonstrated that ASCs + HPL-loaded GelMA scaffolds could delay wound contraction, markedly enhanced collagen deposition, and promoted the formation of new blood vessels, especially at the wound edge, compared to the untreated group. Therefore, this newly fish skin-based GelMA bio-ink developed in this study has the potential to be utilized for the printing of 3D GelMA skin substitutes.