A composite bioink derived from lacrimal gland extracellular matrix and alginate

Nov 1, 2025Journal of applied biomaterials & functional materials

A combined bioink made from tear gland tissue material and alginate

AI simplified

Regenerative Health on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Abstract

The composite bioink of decellularized porcine lacrimal gland and alginate shows excellent viability of lacrimal gland cells.

Around 17% of dry eye disease cases are attributed to aqueous deficient dry eye.
The composite hydrogel leverages the bioactivity of decellularized extracellular matrix with the biomechanical properties of alginate.
In vitro culture of lacrimal gland cell types is effectively supported by the decellularized extracellular matrix.
The bioink exhibits shear-thinning behavior and reduced cell sedimentation during 3D printing.
Excellent cell viability was observed for lacrimal gland epithelial and mesenchymal stromal cells over a 7-day culture period.

AI simplified

With the high global prevalence of dry eye disease and around 17% attributed to aqueous deficient dry eye (ADDE), there is an urgent need for therapies targeting lacrimal gland (LG) insufficiency. Advancements in in vitro LG analysis are essential for developing effective treatments that allow for efficient, ethical, and comprehensive evaluation of both cell-based therapies and pharmaceuticals. In light of the rapid progress in 3D bioprinting for tissue engineering, this study focuses on creating a composite hydrogel derived from decellularized porcine LG, combined with alginate. This combination leverages the bioactivity of the decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) with the favorable biomechanical properties of alginate in a single bioink. Our results demonstrate that dECM supports the in vitro culture of LG cell types effectively, while alginate provides enhanced biomechanical stability. We analyzed the biomechanical and rheological properties of the bioink and printed 3D structures containing LG-derived cells, assessing cell viability both immediately post-printing and over a 7-day culture period. The LG-based bioink showed shear-thinning behavior, reduced cell sedimentation, and resilience to shear stresses comparable to pure alginate hydrogels. Additionally, we observed excellent viability of LG epithelial and mesenchymal stromal cells. This composite bioink, combining dECM and alginate, presents improved biomechanical properties while preserving biofunctionality, representing a promising platform for in vitro LG tissue engineering.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text (PDF) ↗View full text (XML) ↗View full text ↗

A composite bioink derived from lacrimal gland extracellular matrix and alginate

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week: