Adipose-Derived Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Applications

Figure 2

Laser-assisted bioprinting helps in the proliferation and differentiation of ASCs. (a) Three-dimensional scaffolds were fabricated via laser-assisted bioprinting. During printing, the laser pulse was applied to melt a certain area in the energy absorbing layer (red layer). The suspended biomaterial prepolymers below that area fell due to the loss of support from the absorbing layer. The small units formed droplets that were collected by the bottom substrate. The prepolymers were cross-linked using a cross-linking agent. (b) Lipase (LPL), adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (aP2), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-γ2) expression were compared on printed and nonprinted control ASCs compared to unstimulated ASCs after 3, 7, and 21 days of incubation. (c) Oil Red-O staining indicated similar lipid accumulation in the cytoplasm of the printed and nonprinted groups (scale bar: 500 μm). (d) Equal lipid quantities were detected in both groups (α = 0.05) (adopted from [62]).

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