Three-dimensional (3D) printing represents the direct fabrication of parts layer-by-layer, guided by digital information from a computer-aided design file without any part-specific tooling. Over the past three decades, a variety of 3D printing technologies have evolved that have transformed the idea of direct printing of parts for numerous applications. Three-dimensional printing technology offers significant advantages for biomedical devices and tissue engineering due to its ability to manufacture low-volume or one-of-a-kind parts on-demand based on patient-specific needs, at no additional cost for different designs that can vary from patient to patient, while also offering flexibility in the starting materials. However, many concerns remain for widespread applications of 3D-printed biomaterials, including regulatory issues, a sterile environment for part fabrication, and the achievement of target material properties with the desired architecture. This article offers a broad overview of the field of 3D-printed biomaterials along with a few specific applications to assist the reader in obtaining an understanding of the current state of the art and to encourage future scientific and technical contributions toward expanding the frontiers of 3D-printed biomaterials.

Efficient, reproducible, and precise methodologies for fabricating tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds using three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques are evaluated. Fusion deposition modeling, laser sintering, and photo printing each have limitations, including the materials that can be used with each printing system. However, new and promising resorbable materials are surfacing as alternatives to previously studied resorbable TE materials for 3D printing. One such resorbable polymer is poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF), which can be printed using photocross-linking 3D printing. The ability to print new materials opens up TE to a wide range of possibilities not previously available. The ability to control precise geometries, porosity, degradation, and functionalities present on 3D printable polymers such as PPF shows a new layer of complexity available for the design and fabrication of TE scaffolds.

Three-dimensional powder printing (3DP) is attractive for the direct fabrication of bioceramic implants and scaffolds from a computer aided design file for bone tissue engineering by localized deposition of a reactive binder liquid onto thin powder layers. This article reviews recent findings on novel material developments for the three-dimensional (3D) printing process using either sintering regimes or cement setting reactions. Customized ceramic implants can be fabricated by 3DP using computer tomography data obtained from a patient, whereas further drug modification of such implants can be achieved either in situ or post-printing. The excellent biological in vitro and in vivo behavior of 3D-printed bioceramics together with processing at ambient conditions may give the opportunity to directly produce cell-seeded patient-specific implants for accelerated and enhanced bone regeneration in the future.

The long-term success of an orthopedic implant largely depends on the extent of its osseointegration in the surrounding bone. During recent decades, there have been several attempts to develop porous structures and coatings in order to maximize the bone ingrowth on prosthesis surfaces. Innovative additive manufacturing technologies, such as electron beam melting (EBM), which are based upon building components by adding layers of material rather than by removing material from a raw shape, can provide a breakthrough solution, both to overcome the major limitations of the actual technologies and to significantly enhance the performance of porous scaffolds. This article reviews the latest developments in EBM technology applied to the preparation of highly biocompatible porous materials such as Trabecular Titanium and the production of orthopedic prostheses with enhanced characteristics.

Organ shortage is a severe challenge worldwide. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, a rapidly developing engineering and materials science tool, holds considerable promise in generating implantable organ scaffolds that may reduce or eliminate organ shortage. However, translation of 3D printing into clinical therapies has been astonishingly slow and certainly has not matched the pace of technology development. This review outlines challenges and opportunities for the application of 3D printing in tissue and organ regeneration, with emphasis on in vivo applications of 3D-printed scaffolds. Three-dimensional-printed scaffolds for the regeneration of complex tissues and organs, including bone, cartilage, tooth, and skin, serve as prototypes for 3D printing of other tissues and organs such as the liver, kidney, or heart. The aspiration to reduce or eliminate organ shortage appears to hinge on the translation of 3D bioprinting technologies into preclinical studies and clinical trials. The remaining challenges of cell survival, directed differentiation, angiogenesis, and metabolic exchange are far from trial and need to be addressed. Three-dimensional-printed materials will remain a biomaterials and engineering showcase unless applications in preclinical and clinical models are realized. In balance, 3D printing holds considerable promise in regenerative medicine as a unique approach to address organ shortage.

Learning from nature and starting from the lotus leaf, we have used a four-step strategy to develop a superwetting system ranging from two-dimensional interfaces to nanochannels and fibers. First, we explored unique superwetting properties in nature from lotus leaves, mosquito eyes, strider legs, rose petals, rice leaves, and butterfly wings, to fish scales, spider silks, and cacti. Second, we investigated the correlation between the multiscale structures and superwettability. Third, we designed target molecules to prepare bioinspired functional materials with promising applications, such as self-cleaning coatings, water/oil separation, water collection, and energy conversion. Finally, by combining two complementary properties and achieving reversible switching between them, we were able to develop bioinspired smart interfacial materials with superwettability.