Authors: Wang M, Li W, Hao J, Gonzales A 3rd, Zhao Z, Flores RS, Kuang X, Mu X, Ching T, Tang G, Luo Z, Garciamendez-Mijares CE, Sahoo JK, Wells MF, Niu G, Agrawal P, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Eggan K, Zhang YS.
Nature Communications, 2022.
Scientists use Axion’s next-generation Maestro MEA platform to assess electrophysiology in bioprinted 3D mini-brains.
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting holds great promise for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug discovery, but using the method to construct soft tissues and complex soft organ-mimics such as the brain and liver has been challenging. In this study, scientists demonstrate a customizable molecular cleavage approach that enables high-performance bioprinting in multiple tissue types.
To examine electrical activity and validate the formation of functional synaptic networks in bioprinted 3D mini-brains in vitro, the scientists used Axion’s noninvasive, label-free Maestro multi-electrode array (MEA) platform. The MEA results, along with other findings, suggest that although additional optimizations are needed, the authors’ “unique molecular cleavage strategy relying on post-bioprinting enzymatic treatment is anticipated to find widespread applications in tissue and tissue model engineering.”
