3D Bioprinting- An Advanced Manufacturing Process for Healthcare Applications

3D bioprinting is a cutting-edge technique used to create intricate mechanical and biological structures. It was developed to impart few advanced features to the process of biomanufacturing mainly for healthcare applications. This state-of-the-art technique is a viable alternative for the manufacturing of complex 3D biological scaffolds employing different bioinks/ biomaterial inks that improves the ability significantly to solve the shortcomings adhering to the traditional 2D biomanufacturing processes. Despite enormous advances of 3D bioprinting technology, the clinical translations of this technique are still constrained by several important issues such as restricted biocompatibility, fragile mechanical strength, and insufficient printability. Replicating native tissue architecture of an organ is challenging due to lack of suitable bioink resolving the above limitations. The present review briefly outlines the available polymeric hydrogels (as bioink) that could mimic the cell-ECM microenvironment using advanced 3D bioprinted scaffolds. Additionally, this review will also briefly present the recent advancements in material selection for successful bioprinting leading to futuristic applications in healthcare and medical research. It also explores the potential limitations of 3D bioprinting as future challenges to be addressed with advanced research strategies.