Distinct Tissue Formation by Heterogeneous Printing of Osteo- and Endothelial Progenitor Cells

Abstract

The organ- or tissue-printing approach, based on layered deposition of cell-laden hydrogels, is a new technique in regenerative medicine suitable to investigate whether mimicking the anatomical organization of cells, matrix, and bioactive molecules is necessary for obtaining or improving functional engineered tissues. Currently, data on performance of multicellular printed constructs in vivo are limited. In this study we illustrate the ability of the system to print intricate porous constructs containing two different cell types--endothelial progenitors and multipotent stromal cells--and show that these grafts retain heterogeneous cell organization after subcutaneous implantation in immunodeficient mice. We demonstrate that cell differentiation leading to the expected tissue formation occurs at the site of the deposited progenitor cell type. While perfused blood vessels are formed in the endothelial progenitor cell-laden part of the constructs, bone formation is taking place in the multipotent stromal cell-laden part of the printed grafts.