AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/ijb.5732
REVIEW
Early Access

3D bioprinting and label-free imaging: Bridging innovations for organoid research

Linbin Zha1 Saewoon Shin1 Chulhong Kim3 Jong-Chan Park1,3,4* Byullee Park1,3,4*
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1 Department of Biophysics, Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
2 Departments of Electrical Engineering, Convergence IT Engineering, Medical Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Medical Device Innovation Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Cheongam-ro 77, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
3 Department of Metabiohealth, Sungkyunkwan University, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Republic of Korea
4 Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
Submitted: 30 October 2024 | Accepted: 10 December 2024 | Published: 10 December 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) and multicellular structures that more closely mimic the architecture and functions of human organs. These in vitro systems are derived from pluripotent stem cells, tissue-resident stem cells, or organ-specific progenitors. Despite their potential, conventional organoid development methods are limited by inconsistencies in formation and the absence of complete microenvironmental cues, which reduces reproducibility in larger organ models. In contrast, 3D bioprinting techniques offer a precise layer-by-layer construction approach that enables superior spatial control, scalability, and uniformity in organoid formation. This advantage makes organoids with 3D bioprinting invaluable in diversified fields such as cell biology, pathology, drug toxicology, and molecular medicine. To track the dynamic processes of cell growth, differentiation, and organization during organoid development and maturation, advanced imaging technologies are crucial. Traditional optical imaging methods, however, require exogenous labeling agents to enhance contrast, which can damage samples through photobleaching and phototoxicity. Label-free and real-time imaging modalities, by contrast, offer non-invasive and non-destructive monitoring of organoids, preserving sample integrity and enabling longitudinal studies. This review highlights the benefits of bioprinting technologies in overcoming current limitations in organoid development and provides a comprehensive overview of label-free and real-time imaging technologies for organoids. We examine the principles, strengths, applications, and limitations of these imaging methods, offering insights into their potential to drive further innovations in the rapidly evolving field of organoid imaging.

Keywords
Organoids
3D bioprinting
Optical imaging
Label-free imaging
Real-time imaging
Funding
This work was mainly supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) grant (RS-2023-00210682, RS-2023-00266110, No. RS-2024-00462912) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Korean government and the Ministry of Education (2020R1A6A1A03047902, BK21 FOUR program, Glocal 30 University Project). This work was also supported by the NRF grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) for J-C.P (No. NRF-2022R1C1C2012736 and RS-2023-00266110). Graphical figures were created with BioRender.com.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing