From graphene oxide and proteins
Scientists have created a biomaterial for 3D printing of blood vessels
By combining proteins with the ability to self-assemble with high-tech graphene oxide, scientists have created a new material that can be used as a "biochernil" for 3D printing of blood vessels. The results of the study are published in the journal Nature Communications (Wu et al., Disordered protein-graphene oxide co-assembly and supramolecular biofabrication of functional fluidic devices).
Scientists from the UK, USA, Italy, Spain and Ukraine have developed a method for 3D printing tubular structures with the properties of living vascular tissue. As a material, the authors used a new biomaterial made by self-assembly of a protein with graphene oxide.
An enlarged image of a tubular structure made by 3D printing using new "biochernils". Here and below are the drawings from the Biomaterial discovery press release enables 3D printing of tissue-like vascular structures - VM.
"This work opens up opportunities for creating biotechnologies that combine 3D printing and self-assembly of synthetic and biological components in an orderly manner from nanoscale particles," Alvaro Mata, the head of the study, said in a press release from the University of Nottingham. "We have created micro–scale capillary-like structures that are physiologically compatible and can withstand blood flow."
Cross-section of a 3D-printed tubular structure with endothelial cells embedded in the wall (green).
Self–assembly is the process by which organic molecules are combined into larger regular structures – a kind of molecular building blocks capable of growing, multiplying and performing certain functions. By controlling the self-assembly of the protein in the presence of graphene oxide, the authors achieved that the protein began to be ordered in accordance with the structure of the latter, forming a stable compound with it.
By controlling the mixing of the two components in different proportions, the scientists obtained a plastic material that can be used as biochernils for 3D printing of structures with complex geometry and a resolution of up to 10 micrometers.
According to the researchers, the new material opens up unique opportunities in the field of biotechnology. In particular, it can be used to produce micro-scale flexible capillary-like structures that have all the biochemical and mechanical properties necessary for blood vessels and are absolutely compatible with human cells.
"There is a lot of interest in the development of nature–like materials and production processes," says the first author of the article, Dr. Yuanhao Wu from the Institute of Bioengineering at Queen Mary University of London. – However, the possibilities of creating reliable functional materials and devices through self-assembly of molecular components have so far been limited. Our research represents a new method of integrating proteins with graphene oxide by self-assembly, which can be easily combined with additive manufacturing to produce key parts of human tissues and organs in the laboratory."
In the future, scientists plan to create an artificial vascular network for testing drugs aimed at the treatment of cardiovascular insufficiency. The authors also believe that their innovative approach can be used to develop a wide range of solutions in the field of microbiological engineering and medicine.
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