Engineering bioactive 3D printing bioinks towards targeted personalised therapies

Paysant, Paul and Jose, Kiera and Lalatsa, Aikaterina (2018) Engineering bioactive 3D printing bioinks towards targeted personalised therapies. In: University of Portsmouth Research and Innovation Conference, 2018-09-06 - 2018-09-06, University of Portsmouth.

[thumbnail of Paysant-etal-TRIF-2018-Engineering-bioactive-3D-printing-bioinks-towards-targeted-personalised-therapies]
Preview
 Text. Filename: Paysant_etal_TRIF_2018_Engineering_bioactive_3D_printing_bioinks_towards_targeted_personalised_therapies.pdf
Final Published Version
License: Strathprints license 1.0
Download (2MB)| Preview

Abstract

Constructing functional scaffolds for targeted controlled drug release and tissue regeneration offers promising therapies for many diseases such as tumours, bone regeneration, wound healing, bacterial and fungal infections. 3D bioprinting is an additive manufacturing approach that utilizes a “bioink” to fabricate complex structures out of molecules, similar to assembling Lego pieces. The ideal should satisfy certain material (printability, mechanics, degradation, functionalisation) and biological requirements (biocompatibility, cytocompatilibilty, and bioactivity). Inclusion or conjugation of peptides is common within bioinks as specific regulators of cell activities or for their therapeutic potential. However, the lack of peptide stability to enzymatic degradation remains a problem in realising their potential. We have shown that peptide amphiphiles (PAs), prepared by introducing lipidic parts within peptides, are highly stable and stop the growth of brain and breast cancer cells alone or when loaded with chemotherapeutics. We aim to develop 3D printable biodegradable bioactive bio-inks prepared by cellulose based cell-friendly bioinks loaded with peptides or peptide amphiphiles that when printed into patient specific implants can elicit a specific anticancer effect and target chemotherapeutics to cancer cells remaining after surgery towards targeted and personalised treatments in cancer. In this respect, in this TRIF project, we have synthesised cellulose nanocrystals and we have used them to prepare 3D printable gels when mixed with calcium chloride. We have studied and optimised the rheological properties of cellulose nanocrystal hydrogels and characterised them in terms of particle size and morphology. Finally, we have embedded a model peptide, leucine encephalin, and studied its release from 3D printed scaffolds. We are planning to embedded an antiproliferative peptide amphiphile using similar protocols and understand its antiproliferative effects in vitro using breast and brain tumour cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MD-231, U87MG).

CORE (COnnecting REpositories)