Aylin Kara

Aylin Kara

Visiting PhD researcher, Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey

Development of novel composite bioinks using natural ECM for bone tissue engineering

 

Supervisor at Izmir Institute of Technology: Prof. Dr. Funda Tıhmınlıoğlu

Supervisor in Erlangen: Prof. Dr.-Ing- habil. Aldo R. Boccaccini

3D bioprinting enables the printability of hydrogels with target tissue cells leading to the production of patient-specific scaffolds. 3D printing techniques combined with the decellularization method makes the produced materials to closely mimic the tissue histoarchitecture and to have favorable regeneration potential. Decellularized ECM matrix provides natural components to enrich such hydrogels. The scope of the project is to develop a novel hydrogel composition composed of natural bone ECM which is obtained by the decellularization method and to use the novel ink to produce 3D scaffolds by 3D bioprinting techniques. The main goal of the research project is to obtain a biocompatible, osteoconductive, osteoinductive novel bioink design and to evaluate the decellularized bone ECM for 3D printing. In addition, the regenerative potential of the new 3D scaffolds for bone tissue engineering will be investigated. This research project is being carrying out as a collaboration between Izmir Institute of Technology, Department of Bioengineering and the Institute of Biomaterials at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.