Decellularized
porcine dermis as material in blended bioink for 3D bioprinting
Nghia Thi Hieu Phan, Ha Le Bao Tran, Nhan Thuc Chi Ha, Anh Nguyen Ngoc Bui and My
Thi Ngoc Nguyen
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(5); 127-134;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/205rjbt1270134; (2025)
Abstract
Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) derived from porcine dermis has emerged
as a promising biomaterial for bioink development in tissue engineering. The purpose
of this study was to fabricate the porcine dermal ECM-based bioink and to evaluate
its printability as well as cytotoxicity. The bioink was prepared by decellularizing
porcine dermis, processing it into a solution and blending with gelatin and alginate.
The decellularization effectively was determined using histological staining (Hematoxylin
and Eosin), DNA quantification and electrophoresis. Additionally, retention of key
ECM proteins, including collagen and elastin, was confirmed by Masson’s Trichrome
and Van Gieson’s staining. Printability was assessed by inversion test, filament
formation and pore printability index (Pr). Cytotoxicity was evaluated using L929
cells. The results demonstrated efficient decellularization, with complete removal
of cellular components and minimal residual DNA content (≤ 50 ng/mg ECM, without
detectable DNA fragments of ≥ 200 bp).
Furthermore, the bioink retained essential ECM proteins such as collagen and elastin.
The bioink exhibited excellent printability, forming stable filaments and achieving
a high pore printability index (Pr = 0.97 ± 0.010). Cytotoxicity tests confirmed
that the bioink was non-toxic to L929 cells. These findings suggest that dECM-based
bioinks hold significant potential for 3D bioprinting applications in tissue engineering.
