3D Bioprinting of Cell Migration

The ability of cells to migrate is a fundamental process that allows structural organisation and survival of human tissues and organs. One of the most effective ways of mimicking human tissues for the assessment of cell migration is through 3D bioprinting of tissue models. There exists a range of technologies that employ the principles of 3D bioprinting that allow the tailorability of bioinks and printing parameters so that both optimal cell viability and print fidelity can be achieved. Working through the typical bioprinting workflow, it is possible to fabricate 3D migratory models with the aim of establishing biological mechanisms of cell migration, studying novel candidate drugs to limit migration of cells in diseases such as cancer or even develop pro-migratory tissue models in a bid to restore tissue function following implantation. Multiple types of tissue have been investigated using various modalities of bioprinting, with some implanted models showing much promise ascribed by migration of exogenous and endogenous cells between host tissue and implants. As bioprinting is still very much a developing technology, it is anticipated that clinically biorelevant models that better capture in vivo microenvironments will become available in the very near future. This chapter will first introduce the relevance and principles of 3D bioprinting, with a detailed insight into the major bioprinting workflow stages consisting of model design, print design, model fabrication, model propagation and application. The chapter will then focus on the three predominant 3D bioprinting operatives; laser-induced forward transfer, inkjet printing and robotic dispensing and their subtypes, with their optimal operating specifications being indicated for each. The chapter will then go on to present pre-established 3D bioprinted migratory models in research with examples in cancer, skin and muscle tissue mimics and their advances in the field.