Scientists from Nizhny Novgorod have developed a material for bioprinting that allows creating skin, bones, blood vessels, and other tissues. This was reported by the press service of the National Research Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N. I. Lobachevsky.
Based on the natural polymer chitosan and the popular thermoplastic for 3D printing, polycaprolactone, Nizhny Novgorod chemists have created a composition for bioprinting skin, bones, blood vessels, and other tissues. The thermoplastic, biocompatible material will help regenerate damaged areas, and then decompose and be excreted from the body.
The university noted that chitosan gives the material strength and safety. Polycaprolactone is responsible for its flexibility and ability to melt. Chemists from NNSU named after Lobachevsky combined the polymers in one composition using dimethyl sulfoxide. The solution was treated with ultrasound, resulting in a homogeneous mass for 3D printing.
One of the authors of the study, a researcher at the Department of High-Molecular Compounds and Colloid Chemistry of the Faculty of Chemistry of NNSU, Ivan Lednev, noted that polycaprolactone is used for the manufacture of artificial vessels. It does not interact with water, which increases the risk of thrombosis. The scientist noted that chitosan dissolves perfectly in water. This helps to avoid negative effects.
When decomposing, polycaprolactone provokes inflammation of tissues, releasing acid. Chitosan binds and "neutralizes" them.
Scientists claim that by changing the composition of polymers, it is possible to create a wide variety of materials - from bio-patches to artificial lung tissues. In the future, the developments of Nizhny Novgorod chemists may even replace titanium plates, which are used for complex fractures, when tissue regeneration is particularly difficult. Implants made of chitosan and polycaprolactone will be flexible and durable.
Lednev emphasized that scientists are working on creating a filament for medical 3D printers.
We have already tested the copolymer in bioprinting and are now learning to adjust the compound for different applications. In addition, we plan to improve the material with additional substances.
Earlier, the Siberian Federal University developed a new high-strength material based on zirconium dioxide. According to scientists, this material could become an alternative to imported raw materials for the production of implants, mining equipment parts, and microelectronics components.
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