3D bioprinting adipose tissue for breast reconstruction

Three-dimensional bioprinting has garnered immense interest over the past decade based on its potential to provide a means to rapidly manufacture replacement body parts that replace like with like and are immediately biocompatible. Despite promising advances in bioprinting, it is still immensely difficult to reproduce the delicate structure-function relationships of complex tissues and organs using this approach. In this way, the bioprinting of functional autologous solid organs (e.g., kidney or heart) remains an aspirational goal. However, the formation of more simple tissues such as adipose tissue for breast reconstruction, represents a lower-hanging fruit in translational bioprinting research. The ability to bioprint autologous fat tissue would be transformational in the management of breast cancer patients. This centers around the combination of great need for breast reconstruction in today's society and a lack of an ideal form of breast reconstruction characterized by simplicity along with a low complication profile. Here, we present the current state of the art and future perspectives on 3D bioprinting for the breast as this approach transitions from the bench to the bedside.