3D Bioprinting in Microgravity: Opportunities, Challenges, and Possible Applications in Space
Van Ombergen, Angelique; Chalupa-Gantner, Franziska; Chansoria, Parth; Colosimo, Bianca Maria; Costantini, Marco; Domingos, Marco; Dufour, Alexandre; De Maria, Carmelo; Groll, Jürgen; Jungst, Tomasz; Levato, Riccardo; Malda, Jos; Margarita, Alessandro; Marquette, Christophe; Ovsianikov, Aleksandr; Petiot, Emma; Read, Sophia; Surdo, Leonardo; Swieszkowski, Wojciech; Vozzi, Giovanni; Windisch, Johannes; Zenobi-Wong, Marcy; Gelinsky, Michael
(2023) Advanced Healthcare Materials, volume 12, issue 23, pp. 1 - 19
(Article)
Abstract
3D bioprinting has developed tremendously in the last couple of years and enables the fabrication of simple, as well as complex, tissue models. The international space agencies have recognized the unique opportunities of these technologies for manufacturing cell and tissue models for basic research in space, in particular for investigating
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the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on different types of human tissues. In addition, bioprinting is capable of producing clinically applicable tissue grafts, and its implementation in space therefore can support the autonomous medical treatment options for astronauts in future long term and far-distant space missions. The article discusses opportunities but also challenges of operating different types of bioprinters under space conditions, mainly in microgravity. While some process steps, most of which involving the handling of liquids, are challenging under microgravity, this environment can help overcome problems such as cell sedimentation in low viscous bioinks. Hopefully, this publication will motivate more researchers to engage in the topic, with publicly available bioprinting opportunities becoming available at the International Space Station (ISS) in the imminent future.
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Keywords: additive manufacturing, biofabrication, low Earth orbit – LEO, space, Biomaterials, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Science
ISSN: 2192-2640
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Note: Funding Information: All authors contributed equally to this work. The authors want to thank several members of the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) of the European Space Agency ESA, namely Dr. Christiane Hahn, Dr. Andreas Schoen, Dr. Tommaso Ghidini, and Pierfilippo Manieri for stimulating discussions and valuable insights, as well as Dr. Markus Braun from the German Space Agency at DLR for the same. The authors acknowledge the contributions of Prof. Dr. Nieves Cubo Mateo (Nebrija University, Madrid, Spain) to the development of the topic. Special thanks go to Sophia Read for the thorough review of the manuscript with regard to its linguistic quality. The manuscript has been conceptualized by the ESA Topical Team on “3D Bioprinting of living tissue for utilization in space exploration and extraterrestrial human settlements”, coordinated by M.G. Open access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.
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