Recent advances in 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs for transplantation and drug screening

Organ transplantation is the optimal treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure, but which faces the challenge of donor shortage. Two-dimensional cell culture and animal experiments are difficult to completely simulate the complex cellular microenvironment for drug testing. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an emerging manufacturing technology to fabricate artificial tissues and organs for transplantation and drug screening. This review first describes the bioprinting technologies used to fabricate constructs, including jetting-based, extrusion-based, vat photopolymerization-based methods and other emerging 3D bioprinting approaches. The various kinds of bioinks, cell sources, and the most recent applications of 3D bioprinting tissues and organs in transplantation and drug testing are subsequently summarized. Finally, we discuss the challenges and prospects of 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs. This review aims to facilitate the overcoming of the obstacles identified on the challenging journey towards the manufacturing and adoption of tissue and organs in transplantation and drug screening.