Sound innovations for biofabrication and tissue engineering

Abstract

Advanced biofabrication techniques can create tissue-like constructs that can be applied for reconstructive surgery or as in vitro three-dimensional (3D) models for disease modeling and drug screening. While various biofabrication techniques have recently been widely reviewed in the literature, acoustics-based technologies still need to be explored. The rapidly increasing number of publications in the past two decades exploring the application of acoustic technologies highlights the tremendous potential of these technologies. In this review, we contend that acoustics-based methods can address many limitations inherent in other biofabrication techniques due to their unique advantages: noncontact manipulation, biocompatibility, deep tissue penetrability, versatility, precision in-scaffold control, high-throughput capabilities, and the ability to assemble multilayered structures. We discuss the mechanisms by which acoustics directly dictate cell assembly across various biostructures and examine how the advent of novel acoustic technologies, along with their integration with traditional methods, offers innovative solutions for enhancing the functionality of organoids. Acoustic technologies are poised to address fundamental challenges in biofabrication and tissue engineering and show promise for advancing the field in the coming years.