3D Bioprinted Alginate-Silk-Based Smart Cell-Instructive Scaffolds for Dual Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Designing smart bioinks, which can provide multifunctionality and instructive cues to cells, is a current need of the tissue engineering field. Addressing these parameters, this work aims at developing a smart dual 3D bioprinted scaffold that is capable of differentiating human mesenchymal stem cells into two different lineages within the same construct without providing any exogenous cues. Here, biocompatible alginate- and silk-based bioinks were developed to print self-standing structures with the ability of spatially controlled differentiation of the encapsulated hMSCs. We present this proof of concept and have demonstrated a smart design where the incorporation of phosphate groups enhanced the osteogenic differentiation, whereas the addition of silk promoted the chondrogenic differentiation. Altogether, the present work suggests the potential of the developed bioinks for use in creating clinically viable osteochondral grafts.