3D bioprinted human-scale intestine models for physiological and microbial insights through fluid-driven heterogeneity.

ABSTRACT: The small intestine's intricate structure enables vital functions such as nutrient absorption, microbial defense, and barrier protection, yet replicating its complexity in vitro remains a substantial challenge. We engineered a three-dimensional bioprinted intestinal model featuring biomimetic circular folds and zonated shear stress distribution to recapitulate native physiology. A filament-resolved embedded bioprinting approach enabled high-fidelity fabrication of thin-walled, continuous structures that shaped physiologically relevant flow microenvironments essential for epithelial development. These shear stress patterns regulated tight junctions, secretory activity, and transporter expression, driving region-specific epithelial specialization into barrier or absorptive phenotypes. Cocult

SUBMITTER: Gao Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12637300 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature