Bioprinted nanoparticles for tissue engineering

Tissue engineering may require recreation of the complex, three-dimensional native tissue architecture. While bioprinting allows cell and bioactive factor deposition in a precise pattern, it remains difficult to manipulate and track cells and bioactive factors after printing. We now show that superparamagnetic nanoparticles can be printed in an alginate hydrogel or inside cells themselves with low cell toxicity. Both nanoparticles and cells loaded with nanoparticles can be moved within the alginate hydrogel using a low field magnet, and nanoparticles can be imaged within the three-dimensional structure by micro-computed tomography. These data suggest that nanoparticles may advance biomanufacturing capabilities.