BoneMA - Synthesis and Characterization of a Methacrylated Bone-derived Hydrogel for Bioprinting of Vascularized Tissues

Abstract

It has long been proposed that recapitulating the extracellular matrix (ECM) of native human tissues in the laboratory may enhance the regenerative capacity of engineered scaffolds in-vivo. Organ- and tissue-derived decellularized ECM biomaterials have been widely used for tissue repair, especially due to their intrinsic biochemical cues that can facilitate repair and regeneration. The main purpose of this study was to synthesize a new photocrosslinkable human bone-derived ECM hydrogel for bioprinting of vascularized scaffolds. To that end, we demineralized and decellularized human bone fragments to obtain a bone matrix, which was further processed and functionalized with methacrylate groups to form a photocrosslinkable methacrylate bone ECM hydrogel - BoneMA. The mechanical properties of BoneMA were tunable, with the elastic modulus increasing as a function of photocrosslinking time, while still retaining the nanoscale features of the polymer networks. The intrinsic cell-compatibility of the bone matrix ensured the synthesis of a highly cytocompatible hydrogel. The bioprinted BoneMA scaffolds supported vascularization of endothelial cells and within a day led to the formation of interconnected vascular networks. We propose that such a quick vascular network formation was due to the host of pro-angiogenic biomolecules present in the bone ECM matrix. Further, we also demonstrate the bioprintability of BoneMA in microdimensions as injectable ECM-based building blocks for microscale tissue engineering in a minimally invasive manner. We conclude that BoneMA may be a useful hydrogel system for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.