Modelling and measuring effects of shear stress in extrusion bioprinting of endothelial- epithelial cell co-cultures
- 1Queensland University of Technology
Abstract
Extrusion-based bioprinting enables the development of tissue-like constructs; however, the impact of printing-associated shear stress on cell viability and function remains a critical consideration. To address this, we developed a comprehensive workflow combining rheological characterization, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling, and experimental validation to predict and assess shear stress effects during bioprinting. The rheological properties of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) at 5 % (w/v, 20 {degrees}C) and 10 % (30 {degrees}C) concentrations were modelled, comparing various non-Newtonian regression models. CFD simulations were validated using micro-particle image velocimetry, showing agreement between predicted and measured velocities. The impact of bioprinting-associated shear stress on cell viability was assessed using a co-culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and breast epithelial cells. Immediate post-printing analysis revealed increased apoptosis in GelMA 5 % (w/v, 20 {degrees}C), although 10 % (w/v) GelMA demonstrated higher shear stress levels compared to 5 % GelMA. After 1 day of culture in crosslinked hydrogels, apoptosis increased in extrusion pressure, demonstrating the impact of low levels of acute shear stress. This workflow provides a robust methodology for predicting acute shear stress impacts during bioprinting, laying the foundation for future optimization studies.
Related
- Defining a Biofabrication Window for Visible-Light Photocrosslinkable Protein Bioinks in Extrusion Bioprinting
- Proteomics-supported amniotic membrane extract-supplemented GelMA bioink enables extrusion-based 3D bioprinting of hiPSC-derived corneal stromal constructs
- Integration of In-Line Light-Mediated Cell Activation in Extrusion-Based Bioprinting: A New Biofabrication Strategy for Bone Tissue Engineering
- Fast computational screening of extrusion parameters for bioprinting of skeletal myoblasts in alginate hydrogel
- Geometric coordination of endothelial invasion and vascular patterning during epithelial morphogenesis
BibTeX
@misc{davern2026modelling,
title = {{Modelling and measuring effects of shear stress in extrusion bioprinting of endothelial- epithelial cell co-cultures}},
author = {J. W. Davern and A. Weekes and J. Amaya Catano and C. Meinert and L. Bray and T. J. Klein},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.02.748801},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.02.748801v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Modelling and measuring effects of shear stress in extrusion bioprinting of endothelial- epithelial cell co-cultures
AU - J. W. Davern
AU - A. Weekes
AU - J. Amaya Catano
AU - C. Meinert
AU - L. Bray
AU - T. J. Klein
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/02
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.02.748801
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.02.748801v1
AB - Extrusion-based bioprinting enables the development of tissue-like constructs; however, the impact of printing-associated shear stress on cell viability and function remains a critical consideration. To address this, we developed a comprehensive workflow combining rheological characterization, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling, and experimental validation to predict and assess shear stress effects during bioprinting. The rheological properties of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) at 5 % (w/v, 20 {degrees}C) and 10 % (30 {degrees}C) concentrations were modelled, comparing various non-Newtonian regression models. CFD simulations were validated using micro-particle image velocimetry, showing agreement between predicted and measured velocities. The impact of bioprinting-associated shear stress on cell viability was assessed using a co-culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and breast epithelial cells. Immediate post-printing analysis revealed increased apoptosis in GelMA 5 % (w/v, 20 {degrees}C), although 10 % (w/v) GelMA demonstrated higher shear stress levels compared to 5 % GelMA. After 1 day of culture in crosslinked hydrogels, apoptosis increased in extrusion pressure, demonstrating the impact of low levels of acute shear stress. This workflow provides a robust methodology for predicting acute shear stress impacts during bioprinting, laying the foundation for future optimization studies.
ER -