Current developments in 3D bioprinting for tissue engineering

The field of 3-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has enjoyed rapid development in the past few years for the applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In this review, we summarize the most updated developments in 3D bioprinting for the applications in tissue engineering with a focus on the printable biomaterials used as bioinks. These developments include 1) novel printing regimes have been enabled by the use of fugitive inks for the creation of intricate structures e.g. vascularized tissue constructs; 2) mechanical strength of printed constructs can be enhanced by co-printing soft and hard biomaterials; 3) bioprinted in-vitro models for drug testing applications are closer to reality. We conclude that the research and application of new bioinks will remain the key highlights of the future developments in 3D bioprinting for tissue engineering.