Pluronic F127 Hydrogel Characterization and Biofabrication in Cellularized Constructs for Tissue Engineering Applications

A new method for printing cellularised scaffolds from thermosensitive hydrogels was here proposed. Pluronic F127 solutions and hydrogels in water-based media (15-40%w/v) were investigated by rheological analysis and tube inverting test. Pluronic F127 hydrogel with 25%w/v concentration was selected as bioink due to its fast gelation at 37 °C (5 min), suitable viscoelastic properties (G’= 16500 Pa at 37 °C), pseudoplastic behaviour and fast viscosity recovery after shearing (approximately 5 s). Not cellularised and cellularised (with Balb/3T3 fibroblasts) scaffolds with a 0°/90° pattern were fabricated by additive manufacturing technique. Cells were well distributed along scaffold filaments and cell viability was preserved during printing.