Goa: BITS Pilani researchers develop pharmaceutical polymer-based bioink for 3D-printed skin scaffolds
Goa, Aug 25 (TNT): Researchers at BITS Pilani, K.K. Birla Goa Campus on Tuesday said they have developed a pharmaceutical polymer-based hydrogel for extrusion-based 3D printing, with potential applications in skin tissue engineering and customised drug delivery.
The study, published in the Journal of Biological Engineering, uses pharmaceutical-grade polymers such as starch, maltodextrin and sodium alginate to develop hydrogels with properties required for 3D printing, the Institute said in a release here.
The approach could help address challenges associated with conventional bioinks, including material variability, safety, cost and regulatory requirements.
The research was led by Prof Anasuya Ganguly of the Department of Biological Sciences, along with Hemant Kumar Bankhede, Maheswari Sivaravi, Antara Poi Raiturker and Prajakta Praveen Bhende.
Prof Asima Shaukat, Assistant Professor, Mamta Keshav Tari and Sagar B Kale from the Department of Chemical Engineering were also part of the research team.
The hydrogel demonstrated shear-thinning behaviour, allowing it to flow during the printing process and recover its structure after deposition.
The study reported 87 per cent thixotropic recovery, indicating its ability to retain the shape and structural integrity of printed constructs.
The researchers also evaluated the hydrogel’s biological compatibility using L929 and HaCaT cells.
The formulation recorded more than 70 per cent cell viability in the tested cell models, while the printed scaffolds showed 5 per cent haemolysis.
Confocal microscopy also provided evidence of cell growth on the crosslinked hydrogel.
Prof Anasuya Ganguly said the study demonstrated that pharmaceutical-grade polymers could be formulated into hydrogels with properties suitable for 3D bioprinting, providing a foundation for exploring applications ranging from skin tissue engineering to customised drug delivery.
Potential for customised drug delivery
The researchers further demonstrated the versatility of the formulation by incorporating glimepiride into the hydrogel and producing 3D-printed customised chewable tablets.
The printed tablets recorded 100.4 per cent content uniformity and showed a sustained drug-release profile over four hours, indicating the potential of 3D printing to provide greater flexibility in designing oral dosage forms and customised formulations based on therapeutic requirements.
Prof Asima Shaukat said the use of pharmaceutical polymers already established in drug formulation could help explore 3D bioprinting applications across tissue engineering and drug delivery, with a focus on material safety, printability and practical applications within a single platform.
The researchers said a key feature of the work was the use of pharmaceutical polymers instead of relying exclusively on specialised or animal-derived biomaterials. The approach builds on earlier research into pharmaceutical polymers as potential bioinks for soft-tissue engineering and clean bioprinting.
The study is currently at the research stage and does not represent a clinically approved treatment or commercially available 3D-printed medical product.
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