In the intricate dance of engineering and biology, scientists are no longer just building with steel and concrete—they are crafting the very tissues of life itself.
This transformative year marked a significant leap in how we approach healing and medicine.
Imagine a world where damaged organs can be bioprinted in a lab, where nanoparticles seek and destroy cancer cells with pinpoint precision, and where materials can be programmed to shape themselves inside the human body. This isn't science fiction—this is the groundbreaking reality biomaterial science brought us in 2019.
Researchers made astonishing progress in biofabrication, tissue engineering, and nanomedicine, bringing us closer to a future where medical treatments are more personalized, effective, and less invasive. Let's explore the key advances that are reshaping the landscape of modern medicine.
Before diving into the year's highlights, it's essential to understand the core disciplines that defined these advancements.
This field uses automated, computer-controlled techniques to precisely arrange living cells and biomaterials into complex 3D structures. Think of it as advanced 3D printing for biological components. In 2019, biofabrication evolved beyond creating static structures, beginning to incorporate the fourth dimension: time, which allows engineered tissues to change and mature after printing 1 .
This discipline focuses on developing biological substitutes that restore, maintain, or improve tissue function. The ultimate goal is to create living, functional tissues for patients needing organ repair or replacement. In 2019, biofabrication became a powerful tool for TERM, helping to overcome long-standing challenges in creating viable tissues 1 .
Operating at an incredibly small scale (1-100 nanometers), nanomedicine uses tiny particles to diagnose and treat diseases. These nanoparticles can be engineered from precious metals, proteins, lipids, or polymers, and possess unique properties due to their small size 4 7 . They can improve drug solubility, enable targeted delivery, and reduce side effects 7 .
One of 2019's most compelling challenges in tissue engineering was combating cell-mediated hydrogel shrinkage. When living cells are embedded within the soft, water-rich hydrogels used as scaffolds, they naturally pull on the surrounding material, causing it to contract and collapse. This phenomenon was a major roadblock for creating stable, complex tissues, especially for mechanically active organs like the heart.
They chemically bonded gallic acid, a naturally occurring antioxidant, to hyaluronic acid—a biopolymer naturally found in the human body.
This gallic acid-modified hyaluronic acid was then combined with Collagen I, the most abundant protein in our extracellular matrix.
The resulting composite hydrogel was embedded with two critical cell types: human fibroblasts and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes.
The team rigorously assessed the hydrogel's resistance to shrinkage, its biocompatibility, and its suitability for 3D bioprinting of cell-laden constructs 6 .
The experiment yielded promising results that extended beyond the lab. The gallic acid modification created a more stable network within the hydrogel, making it resistant to the contractile forces exerted by cells. This was a critical achievement because it allowed the maintenance of complex 3D-printed shapes, such as a heart-like structure, which would have previously collapsed.
| Time Point | Traditional Collagen Hydrogel (% Area Reduction) | Collagen-Hyaluronan Composite Hydrogel (% Area Reduction) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 |
15%
|
5%
|
| Day 3 |
35%
|
8%
|
| Day 7 |
60%
|
12%
|
| Hydrogel Type | Cell Viability (After 7 Days) |
|---|---|
| Traditional Collagen |
75%
|
| Collagen-Hyaluronan Composite |
92%
|
| Property | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Printability |
High
|
| Shape Fidelity |
High
|
| Cell Survival |
High
|
Significance: This experiment was crucial because it solved a fundamental problem in tissue engineering. By providing a stable, shrink-resistant scaffold, it opened new doors for creating more complex and functional tissues, moving us closer to the goal of engineering viable human organs for transplantation 6 .
The breakthroughs of 2019 were made possible by a sophisticated array of laboratory materials and reagents. Below is a look at some of the essential components that powered this research.
| Research Reagent | Primary Function in Biofabrication & Nanomedicine |
|---|---|
| Hyaluronic Acid | A natural biopolymer that forms the base of hydrogels, providing a hydrated, cell-friendly environment. Its modification is key to enhancing mechanical stability 6 . |
| Collagen I | The most abundant protein in the human body, it serves as a primary scaffolding material that cells readily recognize and attach to 6 . |
| Gallic Acid | Used as a modifying agent to crosslink polymers, increasing the strength and shrinkage-resistance of hydrogels 6 . |
| PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) | A "stealth" polymer often used to coat nanoparticles and drugs, reducing immune system recognition and prolonging their circulation time in the body 7 . |
| Lipids | The building blocks of liposomes and lipid nanoparticles, used to create tiny spherical carriers that encapsulate drugs or genetic material (like mRNA) for delivery 7 . |
| Gold Nanoparticles | Tiny inorganic particles used as contrast agents in diagnostic imaging (e.g., CT scans) and as cores for targeted drug delivery systems 2 7 . |
The biomaterial advances of 2019 have set the stage for a revolution in patient care. The progress in biofabrication is paving the way for patient-specific tissue grafts and organ repairs. The innovations in nanomedicine are leading to smarter, more targeted therapies that attack disease while sparing healthy tissue, with over 100 nanomedicines already on the market and hundreds more in clinical trials 7 .
These fields are converging to create a future where treatment is not just about managing disease, but about actively helping the body heal and regenerate itself.
From 3D-bioprinted heart tissues that don't collapse to nanoparticles that precisely deliver chemotherapy, the biomaterial highlights of 2019 prove that the future of medicine is not just coming—it's already being built, layer by microscopic layer, in labs around the world.
Nanomedicines already on the market
More in clinical trials