Extrusion-based 3D Bioprinting of Bioactive and Piezoelectric Scaffolds for Treating Critical Soft Tissue Wounds.

OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on developing bioactive piezoelectric scaffolds that could deliver bioelectrical cues to potentially treat injuries to soft tissues such as skeletal muscles and promote muscle regeneration. APPROACH: To address the underexplored aspect of bioelectrical cues in skeletal muscle tissue engineering (SMTE), we developed piezoelectric bioinks based on natural bioactive materials such as alginate, gelatin, and chitosan. Extrusion-based 3D bioprinting was utilized to develop scaffolds that mimic muscle stiffness and generate electrical stimulation when subjected to forces. The biocompatibility of these scaffolds was tested with C2C12 muscle cell line. RESULTS: The bioinks demonstrated suitable rheological properties for 3D bioprinting, resulting in high-resolution composite alginate-gelatin-chitosan scaffolds with good structural fidelity. The scaffolds exhibited a 42-60 kPa stiffness, similar to muscles. When a controlled force of 5 N was applied to the scaffolds at a constant frequency of 4 Hz, they generated electrical fields and impulses (charge), indicating their suitability as a standalone scaffold to generate electrical stimulation and instill bioelectrical cues in the wound region. The cell viability and proliferation test results confirm the scaffold's biocompatibility with C2C12s and the benefit of piezoelectricity in promoting muscle cell growth kinetics. Our study indicates that our piezoelectric bioinks and scaffolds offer promise as autonomous electrical stimulation-generating regenerative therapy for SMTE. INNOVATION: A novel approach for treating skeletal muscle wounds was introduced by developing a bioactive electroactive scaffold capable of autonomously generating electrical stimulation without stimulators and electrodes. This scaffold offers a unique approach to enhancing skeletal muscle regeneration through bioelectric cues, addressing a major gap in the SMTE, i.e., fibrotic tissue formation due to delayed muscle regeneration. CONCLUSION: A piezoelectric scaffold was developed, providing a promising solution for promoting skeletal muscle regeneration. This development can potentially address skeletal muscle injuries and offer a unique approach to facilitating skeletal muscle wound healing.