This document summarizes research on skin bioprinting. It discusses the current state of the field, challenges, and potential applications. Some key points made include: - Skin cells have been successfully bioprinted and cultured, but bioprinted skin constructs currently lack functionality to be used as skin implants due to the absence of features like skin pigmentation and vascularization. - The field of skin bioprinting is still in its infancy, with more work needed on materials, printing processes, and maturation processes. - Bioprinting shows potential as an enabling technology for developing skin models and personalized skin matching techniques using 3D imaging. - Functional organs are more complex than

1. Trends in Biotechnology, 34(9), 689-99.
wyyeong@ntu.edu.sg
Assistant Professor
School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
Wai Yee Yeong - Google Scholar Citations
scholar.google.com.sg/citations?user=CgowDcwAAAAJ&hl=en
Skin bioprinting:
Impending reality or fantasy?

2. Trends in Biotechnology, 34(9), 689-99.

3. 3
Bioprinting
Gartner's 2015 Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies

4. In Bioprinting
http://www.rapidtoday.com/future.html
source: Google, Youtube

5. In Skin Bioprinting….
In Situ printing
F. Rengier, A. Mehndiratta, H. von Tengg-Kobligk, C. M. Zechmann, R. Unterhinninghofen, H.-U. Kauczor, et al., "3D printing based on imaging data: review of medical
applications," International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery, vol. 5, pp. 335-341, 2010.
Rúben F Pereira; Cristina C Barrias; Pedro L Granja; Paulo J Bartolo Advanced Biofabrication Strategies for Skin Regeneration and Repair
Nanomedicine. 2013;8(4):603-621.
Wake Forest School of Medicine

6. Bioprinting: Process Flow
3D bioprinting of tissues and organs, NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY(2014), Sean V Murphy & Anthony Atala

7. Bioprinting Techniques

8. Print Format
Cell spheroidsCells-laden gelCell suspension

9. Multi-layered culture of human skin
fibroblasts and keratinocytes through 3-D
freeform fabrication
• Materials & cells:
• Materials: Collagen type I (rat tail), 2.05 mg/mL
• Cells: Primary adult human dermal FB and KC (1mil/mL for both)
W. Lee, J. C. Debasitis, V. K. Lee, J.-H. Lee, K. Fischer, K. Edminster, et al., "Multi-layered culture of human skin
fibroblasts and keratinocytes through three-dimensional freeform fabrication," Biomaterials, vol. 30, pp. 1587-1595, 3//
2009.
Valved-based

10. Skin Tissue Generation by Laser Cell Printing
• Materials & cells:
• Technology: laser-based
• Materials: Collagen Type I
(3mg/mL), Matriderm
• Cells: NIH-3T3 mouse
fibroblasts, HaCaT human
keratinocytes
L. Koch, A. Deiwick, S. Schlie, S. Michael, M. Gruene, V. Coger, et al., "Skin tissue generation by laser cell
printing," Biotechnology and bioengineering, vol. 109, pp. 1855-1863, 2012.
Laser-based

11. Tissue Engineered Skin Substitutes created by Laser-
assisted bioprinting form skin-like structures in the
dorsal skin fold chamber in mice
• Materials & cells:
• Materials: Collagen Type I
(3mg/mL), Matriderm
• Cells: NIH-3T3 mouse
fibroblasts, HaCaT human
keratinocytes
S. Michael, H. Sorg, C.-T. Peck, L. Koch, A. Deiwick, B.
Chichkov, et al., "Tissue Engineered Skin Substitutes Created by
Laser-Assisted Bioprinting Form Skin-Like Structures in the
Dorsal Skin Fold Chamber in Mice," PloS one, vol. 8, p. e57741,
2013.
Laser-based

12. Bioprinted Amniotic Fluid-Derived Stem Cells
Accelerate Healing of Large Skin Wounds
• Materials & cells:
• Collagen Type I (2.2mg/mL) and
fibrinogen in 1:1 ratio, with
Amniotic fluid-derived stem cells
A. Skardal, D. Mack, E. Kapetanovic, A. Atala, J. D. Jackson, J. Yoo,
et al., "Bioprinted Amniotic Fluid-Derived Stem Cells Accelerate
Healing of Large Skin Wounds," Stem cells translational medicine,
vol. 1, p. 792, 2012
Valved-based
• Challenges:
• No cell migration into the underlying
tissue
• Potential:
• Bioprinted amniotic fluid-derived stem
cells demonstrated effective closure of
large skin wounds

13. Challenges and Potential
2D vs 3D microenvironment
Material vs cellular approach
Process-dependent vs design dependent
The Outlook of Skin Bioprinting
Single vs multiple cell types
Designing the microenvironment
Multi-material multi-cellular printing

14. Potential in skin model
Applications: Development of bioprinted skin models (May
2015)
Concept: Bioprinting of tissue spheroids to fabricate
bioprinted tissue (based on Organovo’s exVive3D liver model)

15. Potential in Digital Pre-
Processing
• Developing natural-looking, 3D-printed skin
• 3D camera technology, image processing and and
skin modelling techniques that can almost exactly
match an individual's skin tone and skin texture
under varying light sources
Ref: http://phys.org/news/2013-11-natural-looking-
3d-printed-skin.html#jCp

16. Fantasy or Reality: Cost
• No for now
• High cost
• More likely to be an enabler in medicine, or creating
microtissues for testing

17. • Depends on definition of organ
• Functional organs are more complex -> require better nutrient
transport
Fantasy or Reality: Organ Complexity
SKIN
3D bioprinting of tissues and organs, NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY(2014), Sean V Murphy & Anthony Atala

18. Summary
• Bioprinting field is currently still in its stage of infancy
• More work has to be conducted
• Material
• Printing process
• Maturation process
• Proof of concept that skin cells can be printed and cultured
• Missing functionality as implant
• Lack of skin pigmentation
• Lack of vascularization
• Immediate use of bioprinting as an enabler or study tool

19. References:
• Skin Bioprinting: Impending Reality or Fantasy?
• Wei Long Ng · Shuai Wang · Wai Yee Yeong · May
Win Naing
• Article · Sep 2016 · Trends in Biotechnology

20. • Development of Polyelectrolyte Chitosan-gelatin
Hydrogels for Skin Bioprinting
• Wei Long Ng · Wai Yee Yeong · May Win Naing
• Full-text Article · Dec 2016

21. • Polyelectrolyte gelatin-chitosan hydrogel
optimized for 3D bioprinting in skin tissue
engineering
• Wei Long Ng · Wai Yee Yeong · May Win Naing
• Full-text Article · Jan 2016

22. • Potential of Bioprinted Films for Skin Tissue
Engineering
• Wei Long Ng · Wai Yee Yeong · May Win Naing
• Conference Paper · Jan 2014

23. • Bioprinting in cardiovascular tissue engineering: a
review
• Jia Min Lee · Swee Leong Sing · Edgar Yong Sheng
Tan · Wai Yee Yeong
• Full-text Article · Jan 2016

24. • Smart hydrogels for 3D bioprinting
• Shuai Wang · Jia Min Lee · Wai Yee Yeong
• Full-text Article · Jul 2015

25. • A preliminary model of time-pressure dispensing
system for bioprinting based on printing and
material parameters
• Lee · Yeong
• Article · Jan 2015 · Virtual and Physical Prototyping

26. Thank you