Reconfigurable Magnetic Liquid Building Blocks for Constructing Artificial Spinal Column Tissues.

ABSTRACT: All-liquid molding can be used to transform a liquid into free-form solid constructs, while maintaining internal fluidity. Traditional biological scaffolds, such as cured pre-gels, are normally processed in solid state, sacrificing flowability and permeability. However, it is essential to maintain the fluidity of the scaffold to truly mimic the complexity and heterogeneity of natural human tissues. Here, this work molds an aqueous biomaterial ink into liquid building blocks with rigid shapes while preserving internal fluidity. The molded ink blocks for bone-like vertebrae and cartilaginous-intervertebral-disc shapes, are magnetically manipulated to assemble into hierarchical structures as a scaffold for subsequent spinal column tissue growth. It is also possible to join separate ink blocks

SUBMITTER: Luo C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10477840 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature