• Researchers at theUniversity of Creteand theFoundation for Research and Technology-Hellas(FORTH/IESL) have reported a one-step strategy for fabricating bioactive 3D hydrogel scaffolds using curcumin as a multifunctional photoinitiator in two-photon polymerization (2PP). • Posted as apreprintlast month, the study says curcumin serves two roles: it enables high-resolution 3D printing while simultaneously imparting antibacterial properties during fabrication, removing the need for post-print modification. • 2PP is widely used for micro-scale scaffold fabrication in tissue engineering. • However, its broader adoption in hydrogel systems has been constrained by the lack of photoinitiators that combine high nonlinear absorption efficiency with cytocompatibility. • Conventional initiators such as Irgacure 2959 exhibit low two-photon absorption cross sections under near-infrared excitation, requiring higher laser intensities that increase the risk of thermal damage and reduced feature fidelity. • Enhanced nonlinear absorption through GelMA-curcumin interaction In the reported work, curcumin, a naturally derived polyphenol from turmeric, was incorporated into a 10% (w/v) GelMA formulation.
Article Summaries:
- Researchers at the University of Crete and FORTH/IESL have introduced curcumin as a multifunctional photoinitiator for two‑photon polymerization (2PP) of GelMA hydrogels. The natural polyphenol enhances two‑photon absorption (≈1500 GM vs. 320 GM for curcumin alone) through interactions with GelMA’s hydrophobic residues, enabling printing at low laser intensities (0.15 TW cm⁻²) and high scan speeds (up to 52 mm s⁻¹). Complex triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) and bone‑like lattices were fabricated with micrometer‑scale pores that remain stable after swelling. Mesenchymal stem cells showed initial metabolic dip but recovered by day 3, and the scaffolds exhibited strong antibacterial activity (≈99.9 % S. aureus, >90 % E. coli) under blue LED illumination, eliminating the need for post‑printing modifications.
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