3B:

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a relatively new technology in which the final structure is built by adding layers of material based on a computer aided-design (CAD) file. AM technologies have attracted the attention of many fields especially the medical industry. One of the medical applications of AM is the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds. In this regard, techniques such as fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), and powder-based and extrusion-based 3D-printing are used for the fabrication of scaffolds with controlled internal structure and geometry according to the defect site, where after target cells are seeded on the scaffolds. With the further development of 3D-printing technologies, it is now possible to print cells simultaneously with the scaffold material referred to as “3D-bioprinting”. 3D-bioprinting has several advantages such as the homogeneous distribution of cells in the scaffold and the ability to print several cell types at pre-defined locations in a single scaffold. To prevent damage to the cells in the process of printing, cells need to be encapsulated in a hydrogel. Alginate is a biocompatible natural polysaccharide composed of guluronic and mannuronic acids. Due to its biodegradability, low cost, and gelation under mild conditions, alginate has been frequently used for encapsulation of cells in the bioprinting of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. In the present product, we incorporated cells in polymer/ceramic 3D-printed scaffolds by either seeding strategy, using alginate/gelatine as the hydrogel carrier.