Three-dimensional bioprinting of rat embryonic neural cells

Abstract

We present a direct cell printing technique to pattern neural cells in a three-dimensional (3D) multilayered collagen gel. A layer of collagen precursor was printed to provide a scaffold for the cells, and the rat embryonic neurons and astrocytes were subsequently printed on the layer. A solution of sodium bicarbonate was applied to the cell containing collagen layer as nebulized aerosols, which allowed the gelation of the collagen. This process was repeated layer-by-layer to construct the 3D cell–hydrogel composites. Upon characterizing the relationship between printing resolutions and the growth of printed neural cells, single/multiple layers of neural cell–hydrogel composites were constructed and cultured. The on-demand capability to print neural cells in a multilayered hydrogel scaffold offers flexibility in generating artificial 3D neural tissue composites.