Technological watch

Respiratory tissue engineering aims to provide improved treatment options for respiratory diseases and injuries, as well as improved modelling of respiratory diseases and therapeutic-host tissue interactions. To this end, fabrication of constructs to mimic native respiratory tissues with the appropriate biological, mechanical and architectural properties is an essential, yet challenging, task. Bioprinting, an emerging three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, is uniquely situated for such construct development as it allows for the incorporation of cells and other biologically-active molecules into printed constructs in a highly precise and repeatable manner. This review provides an overview of the development of 3D bioprinted constructs for respiratory tissue engineering, highlighting the tissue structure, components, and properties of native lung, as well as the reported studies of bioprinting in both regenerative and modelling applications of respiratory tissues. Challenges faced in the development and application of bioprinted constructs in respiratory tissue engineering are identified and discussed, along with suggested future research directions of this field.