3D Printing for Biomedical Applications: Latest Advances and Prospects
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 6591
Special Issue Editors
Interests: additive manufacturing; biomechanics; bioengineering; materials science; materials characterization; biomaterials; titanium alloys; surface modifications; biopolymers; hydrogels
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biomaterials; biomechanics; biophysics; agrophysics; physical properties of soft tissues; biocybernetics; designing experiments; statistical methods in quality control; mathematical methods in bioengineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are now one of the main trends in the field of new technological solutions. These technologies are often considered to be one of the pillars of the fourth Industrial Revolution. The use of computer-aided design (CAD) methods to generate models with complex geometry takes this technology to the next level of automated production of highly repeatable parts. AM technologies offer many techniques that vary depending on the material used.
One of the AM techniques is the three-dimensional printing (3DP) of biomaterials, which can be an interesting alternative for the production of allogeneic tissue and organ transplants in the case of donor and organ shortages. The ever-increasing demand for personalized implants and tissue scaffolds requires the use of advanced biomaterials and processes to produce three-dimensional (3D) structures that resemble the complexity of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In recent years, the use of living cells in additive technologies (ATs) has aroused increasing interest. Such 3D biomaterial structures show high functional similarity to natural tissues and organs.
Interesting possibilities are provided by the use of hydrogels in AT. Hydrogels, which resemble biological ECMs, can provide cells with mechanical support to control their behavior. Therefore, striving for the mechanical tissue integrity of the produced scaffolds has become a fundamental research issue for three-dimensional hydrogel structures. 3D-printed nanocomposites (NCs) are constantly being modified to introduce new 3DP techniques for hydrogel-based materials, their properties, and biomedical applications.
The pharmaceutical industry is an example of such new applications of 3DP. Hydrogels can be easily modified through physicochemical reactions to obtain specific functional properties and structures tailored to the respective application. Properties such as solubility and degradation make hydrogel bioinks suitable for use in drug delivery systems (DDSs). Appropriately selected methods of administering such drugs (often individualized) minimize side effects and maximize their effectiveness. 3DP can replace traditional drug manufacturing techniques, as it enables the fabrication of complex shapes that can meet individual patient needs while improving compliance and accessibility, using a wide variety of materials.
Despite such promising results, 3DP is still in its early stages and has yet to overcome many material and technological challenges before it can meet current clinical and industrial needs. The efforts of researchers are focused mainly on the development and optimization of technology and the target production process.
This Special Issue is a place to exchange scientific experiences in the field of 3D printing for medical applications, taking into account various applications, with a vision of clinical research and an industrial approach. Authors are encouraged to publish original research, review articles, and messages presenting advances in 3D-printing technologies in the field of creating tissue and organ models, or innovative applications in personalized medicine, pharmacy, and biosensors.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following research areas:
- Innovative materials as bioinks for research and clinical applications;
- The use of 3D printing in regenerative medicine;
- 3D modeling of tissues, organs, or diseases for use in novel pharmacological and hybrid therapies;
- The use of 3D printing for the production of drugs, including personalized ones;
- New material formulations and composite materials;
- Mechanical properties of materials for 3D printing;
- 3D diagnostic models related to lab-on-a-chip;
- Material performance standards and data exchange formats.
Dr. Patrycja Szymczyk-Ziółkowska
Prof. Dr. Jerzy Detyna
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- additive manufacturing
- 3D bioprinting
- biofabrication
- tissue engineering
- regenerative medicine
- bioink
- cell printing
- organoids
- personalized medicine
- tissue models
- custom-made tissues and organs
- nanocomposites
- lab-on-a-chip
- drug delivery systems
- hydrogels
- advanced materials
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.