biofabrication

Biofabrication is the automated production of biologically functional tissues, organoids, or other tissue constructs using living cells, biomaterials, and signaling factors. It brings together tissue engineering, materials science, and manufacturing to create structures that resemble native tissues.

Common approaches include three dimensional bioprinting, which deposits cell-containing bioinks layer by layer. Extrusion-based, inkjet, and laser-assisted bioprinting are representative methods. Other strategies use decellularized extracellular matrix scaffolds or scaffold-free constructs such as cell spheroids. Bioinks may include hydrogels, natural or synthetic polymers, and signaling molecules; cell sources include primary cells, stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells.

Applications include regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, drug development, and disease modeling. In research and clinical contexts, biofabrication aims to produce tissue patches, vascularized grafts, or organoids for testing, while the long-term goal is transplantation of larger tissues or whole organs. Biofabricated tissue models support disease studies and drug screening, potentially reducing the need for animal testing.

Challenges include achieving functional vascularization and innervation, matching mechanical properties, ensuring immune compatibility, and maintaining reproducibility and scalability. Regulatory pathways, quality control, and manufacturing standards are active areas of development, as are ethical considerations related to stem cell sources and human tissue use.

The field has evolved from advances in tissue engineering and three dimensional printing since the early 2000s, with rapid growth in the last decade. While progress is ongoing, many applications remain experimental and require further research, validation, and regulatory approval before widespread clinical use.