Emerging Polysaccharide-Based Biomaterials in 3D Bioprinting: Materials, Biomedical Applications, and Future Perspectives

Abstract Contemporary healthcare systems require advanced, sustainable, and patient-specific therapeutic solutions. We need advanced technologies, exemplified by 3D printing and biomaterials such as carbohydrates, to produce many 3D-bioprinted in vitro tissues and organ models for drug testing and regenerative medicine. In recent years, polysaccharide-based biomaterials have emerged as promising candidates for three-dimensional (3D) printing applications owing to their intrinsic biocompatibility, biodegradability, tunable physicochemical properties, and structural resemblance to native extracellular matrices (ECMs). In addition, recent progress in biomaterial modification and 3D printing methodologies has broadened their biomedical applications, particularly in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, organ model development for drug discovery, and in situ bioprinting. This review presents a comprehensive overview of widely utilized polysaccharides in regenerative medicine, 3D printing techniques, bioink formulations, and the biomedical applications of 3D systems. It highlights recent advancements in material design, fabrication strategies, and biological performance and addresses current challenges and future perspectives for translating these materials from laboratory research to clinical practice.