UroPrint

The aim of UroPrint is to laser print fully functional immunocompatible urothelial tissue ex vivo and in vivo for bladder augmentation and replacement. This vision is enabled by combining and advancing a number of achievements in the fields of optics and laser technologies, materials, engineering and micro- instrumentation, genetics, cell biology and experimental surgery. We pursued two equally novel approaches: i) print ex vivo fully autologous bladder tissue employing primary urothelial cells (pUCs) and smooth muscle cells (pSMCs) embedded within a novel xeno-free human-based hydrogel from methacrylated platelet lysate (PLMA); ii) in vivo print autologous pUCs in PLMA directly onto de-epithelialized intestinal muscle which preserves its original vasculature. The overall goal of the UroPrint project is to:

• to integrate all ex vivo cell processes under GMP compliance

• to generate engineered bladder tissue using novel scaffolds ex

vivo

• to develop a prototype for elasticity and permeability

measurements

• to bioprint in vivo on cleared intestinal muscle tissue