ABSTRACT
In a society that continually requires advancements in the generation of artificial tissues, three-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a potent technology capable of fabricating highly complex 3D structures. The common denominator of all bioprinting approaches is bioink, which is vital for the development of constructs capable of mimicking both the structure and functions of tissues. Extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived materials have been gaining particular attention for those purposes, although several aspects from the extraction to the processing still require further developments. In this chapter, we highlight the major elements of the ECM and their respective functions, both at the molecular level and at the macrostructure level found in native tissues. Additionally, we provide an overview of the processing pipeline that bridges ECM harvesting to bioink formulation, highlighting its influence on the overall features and properties of the yielded product. Finally, we describe recent works using ECM-based bioinks to fabricate 3D tissue-like constructs, focusing on the attained biological relevance.
