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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Prog Polym Sci. 2021 Feb 16;115:101375. doi: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2021.101375

Table 2.

Summary of protein-based inks for 3D printed tissue scaffolds

Proteins Ink composition Methods Crosslinking Auxiliary Young’s modulus Tissues References
Collagen Monolithic (up to 24 mg/ml) Extrusion Physical Supporting bath 10 kPa; 100 kPa (GLU crosslinking) Heart [39]
Monolithic (up to 17.5 mg/ml) Extrusion Physical Heating ~30 kPa Meniscus [72]
Monolithic (up to 12 mg/ml) Extrusion Physical pH NA cartilage [70]
Collagen fibrils Extrusion Physical Shear-induced fiber alignment NA Corneal [177]
Composite (Gelatin; hyaluronic acid) Extrusion; Light Physical; Covalent Rheology additives NA Liver [57]
Composite (gold nanorods) Light Physical Near-infrared femtosecond laser NA Vessel [184]
Composite (Pluronic® F-127) Extrusion Physical Rheology additives 7 kPa Bone marrow [71]
Composite (Alginate) Extrusion Physical Rheology additives NA Bone; liver [284]
Gelatin Gelatin methacrylamide (up to 20 w/v%) Extrusion; Light Covalent Photopolymerization NA Liver [67]
Gelatin methacrylamide (10 w/v%) Extrusion Covalent Structural enhancement ~130 kPa Cartilage [285]
Gelatin methacryloyl (up to 20 w/v%; Gellan) Extrusion Physical Rheology additives ~ 186 kPa Cartilage [55]
Gelatin-methacryloyl (10 w/v%; 0.6% Collagen) Extrusion Covalent Photopolymerization NA Cartilage [136]
Gelatin methacrylamide (10 w/v%) Extrusion; Light Covalent Enzymatic reactions; Photopolymerization NA Fibroblast [61]
Silk Monolithic (up to ~30 wt%) Extrusion Physical Aqueous salt bath 117 MPa (wet) 2 GPa (dry) Vessel [40]
Monolithic (up to ~30 wt%) Extrusion Physical Methanol bath 5.6 GPa Bone [83]
Monolithic (16 wt%) Extrusion Covalent Enzymatic reactions 150 – 320 kPa Meniscus [211]
Methacryloyl-modified (up to 30% w/v) Light Covalent Digital micromirror device 15 kPa (Tensile); 40 kPa (Compressive, 20% strain) Brain; cartilage [237]
Monolithic (up to 2 wt%); Composite (Gelatin) Extrusion; Light Covalent Photopolymerization; Rheology additives; Sacrificial templates ~400 kPa Cartilage [239]
Monolithic (Hydrogel) Extrusion Physical Amino acid sequence 0.21 kPa Fibroblast [49]
Composite (PEG) Extrusion Physical Rheology additives NA Fibroblast [225]
Composite (glycerol; Gelatin) Extrusion Physical Rheology additives 1.4 kPa Bone [216]
Composite (GelMA; PEGDMA) Extrusion; Light Physical; Covalent Photopolymerization; Enzymatic reactions ~40 kPa Heart [243]
Composite (Fibrin/Gelatin) Extrusion Physical; Covalent Rheology additives ~16 kPa Cartilage [217]
Composite (Gelatin) Extrusion Physical Rheology additives ~70 kPa (Compressive, 20% strain) Cartilage [218]
Fibrin(ogen) Monolithic (ca. 1mg/ml) Extrusion Physical Ionic bonding NA Skin [253]
Composite (Alginate; Methylcellulose) Extrusion Physical Rheology additives NA Bone [255]
Composite (PCL; PLCL) Extrusion Physical Structural enhancement 1 MPa Urethra [252]
Composite (Hyaluronic acid; Polyvinyl alcohol) Extrusion Physical; Covalent Rheology additives; Enzymatic reactions NA Nerve [254]
Composite (Furfuryl-gelatin) Extrusion; Light Covalent Photopolymerization; Rheology additives; Enzymatic reactions NA Heart [286]
Composite (PEG; alginate) Extrusion Physical; Covalent Ionic bonding; Enzymatic reactions; Photopolymerization Ca. 0.9 – 3 MPa Cartilage [257]
Composite (Gelatin) Extrusion Physical; Covalent Heating; Enzymatic reactions 1 kPa Vessel [251]
Keratin Monolithic (up to 6% w/v) Light Covalent Photopolymerization ~15 kPa Fibroblast [113]
Composite (Lignin; guar gum; glycerol) Extrusion Physical Rheology additives NA NA [268]
Soy Composite (glycerol; dithiothreitol) Extrusion Covalent Rheology additives 1 kPa ~4 kPa (EDC crosslinking) NA [272]
Composite (polyurethane) Extrusion Physical; Covalent Rheology additives NA Fibroblast [270]

GLU: glutaraldehyde; EDC: 1-ethyl-3-(3 dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide; PEGDMA, Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate.