Novel enzymatically cross-linked silk fibroin bioink for bioprinting of patient-specific memory-shape implants for meniscus regeneration.

The regeneration of the meniscus tissue using a biomimetic implant is still a big challenge in the orthopedic field [1]. The use of 3D printing combined with the development of novel biomaterials-based bioinks can be the perfect solution to achieve a fast and successful progress in this field [2]. The reverse engineering approaches can allow controlling the architecture of the implant and to reproduce tissue’s anatomy with high degree of fidelity and reproducibility [3]. In this work, a novel enzymatically cross-linked silk fibroin (SF) bioink based was developed for 3D bioprinting of patient-specific memory-shape implants for meniscus tissue engineering applications.