Engineered 3D liver-tissue model with minispheroids formed by a bioprinting process supported with in situ electrical stimulation

Research Overview

3D bioprinting builds cell-laden structures within native-like matrices but often yields inadequate cell–cell interaction; pre-formed spheroids can restore it, and minispheroids of 50–100 µm show particularly enhanced maturation. This study proposes a one-step, minispheroid-forming bioprinting process that incorporates electrical stimulation.

Stimulating cells during printing generated minispheroids of controlled diameter, tuned through bioink viscosity and stimulation intensity. To validate the approach, the process was used to fabricate an engineered liver model mimicking the hepatic lobule, printing the hepatocyte region first and then the surrounding structures.