3D Microprinted Bone Cell Models

Bone itself is traversed by a complex system of cavities and channels, called the lacuna-canalicular-network (LCN). Osteocytes, mature bone cells that function as orchestrators of load-induced bone remodeling, reside within these cavities and stretch throughout the canaliculi to create a cellular network. Although osteocytes are known for their leading role in bone mechanosensation, the exact process of mechanotransduction remains not yet fully understood. Mostly, because existing in vitro models lack to resemble a functional and interconnected 3D osteocyte network that recapitulates the complex bone microarchitecture. To overcome this problem, we aim to create in vitro bone cell models with predictable morphologies and functions, by combining high-resolution light-based biofabrication with 3D cell culture and molecularly engineered hydrogels.

Collaborators:

• Prof. Bradley Nelson, ETH Zurich 
• Prof. Sarah Dallas, University of Missouri Kansas City
• Prof. Roland Baron, Harvard University