Table 3.

Natural and synthetic polymer candidates as bioinks in biomedical applications.

Type	Material	Advantage	Disadvantage	Typical Cross-Linking
Natural	Alginate	Simple gelation Good stability	Less cell interaction Less biodegradation	Ionic
	Gelatin	Low antigenicity Low cost	Less stable Low mechanical properties	UV
	Hyaluronic acid	Good cell interaction Good angiogenesis	Rapid degradation Poor mechanical stability	UV
	Silk fibroin	Slow degradation Good mechanical properties	Allergic response Less cell interaction	Physical
	Collagen	Good cell interaction	Less stability Low mechanical properties	Thermal
	Fibrin	Good angiogenesis Fast gelation	Poor mechanical stability Easily clogs	Enzymatic
	Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM)	Similar to native ECM composition and structure	Low shape fidelity Low mechanical properties	Thermal
	Agarose	Simple gelation	Less stability Low mechanical properties	Thermal
Synthetic	Poly ethylene glycol (PEG)	Reproducibility Easy chemical modification	Low cell interaction Poor mechanical strength	UV
	Polysiloxane	Good mechanical properties Slow degradation	Low cell interaction Relatively expensive	UV