Bioprinting: Prospects, considerations and challenges for application in South African clinical environments

Abstract

Bioprinting advances have revolutionised drug discovery and are set to disrupt biomedical research and medical application through the development of reproducible, fine-tuned functional 3D tissues and, eventually, whole organs. This intersectional bottom-up approach of additive manufacturing requires collaboration between tissue engineers, materials chemists, software and electrical engineers and medical practitioners for the software, hardware and wetware required by this disruptive technology. This review provides a current overview of the state of the art of bioprinting and the biomaterials/bioinks required, as well as the challenges and prospects for medical application in South Africa.