Resembling living tissues, replicating their dynamic nature and ability to modify their behavior in response to appropriate stimuli: this is the purpose of most bioconstructs for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, with 4D bioprinting as an increasingly valuable and promising technique to reach the goal.

Interlynk scientific coordinator João F. Mano and collaborators provide a broad overview and a critical discussion on the most recent reports focusing on available smart materials and technologies, in the review article published today online on Advanced Materials Technologies.

Advanced Materials Technologies 2021 June 14, https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202100168
Natural Origin Biomaterials for 4D Bioprinting Tissue-Like Constructs
Patrícia D. C. Costa, Dora C. S. Costa, Tiago R. Correia, Vítor M. Gaspar, João F. Mano

ABSTRACT: Leveraging 4D biofabrication for engineering biomimetic living constructs is rapidly emerging as a valuable strategy for recapitulating native tissue dynamics, via on-demand stimuli, or in a naturally evolving mode. Carefully selecting smart materials with suitable responsiveness and cell-supporting functionalities is crucial to take full operational advantage of this next-genera-tion technology. Recent endeavors combining naturally available polymers or hybrid smart materials improve the potential to manufacture volumetrically defined, cell-rich constructs that may display stimuli–responsive properties, shape memory/shape morphing features, and/or dynamic motion in time. In this review, natural origin biomaterials and the stimuli that can be exploited for granting dynamic morphological features and functionalities post-printing are highlighted. A broad overview of recent reports focusing on 4D-bioprinted constructs for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is also provided and critically discussed in light of current challenges, as well as foreseeable advances. It is envisioned that upon assurance of key regulatory demands, such technology will become translatable to numerous biomedical applica-tions that require fabrication of constructs with dynamic functionality.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/admt.202100168