AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB026200190
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Mesenchymal stem cell differentiation in constructs fabricated by three-dimensional bioprinting using a carboxyvinyl polymer-based support material

Takashi Kotani1 ,  Shinji Sakai1*
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1 Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
IJB, 026200190 https://doi.org/10.36922/IJB026200190
Received: 13 May 2026 | Revised: 8 June 2026 | Accepted: 10 June 2026 | Published online: 10 June 2026
© 2026 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/ )
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Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting using a carboxyvinyl polymer (CVP) solution as a support material, alternately extruded with bioink, holds great promise for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This approach enables the fabrication of constructs that are sufficiently soft to preserve the functionality of enclosed cells. To evaluate the applicability of this support material and printing method for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), we examined the behavior of immortalized human bone marrow-derived MSCs (UE7T-13). This was carried out with constructs printed using bioinks containing 0.5 w/v% phenol-containing hyaluronic acid, 0.1 w/v% phenol-containing gelatin, and 10 U/mL horseradish peroxidase, which were crosslinked by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) supplied from a support material composed primarily of CVP. During the 14 days of culture after printing, UE7T-13 cells enclosed in the printed constructs elongated and proliferated while maintaining high viability (>90%) and metabolic activity. Furthermore, antibody immunostaining revealed that the cells within the constructs maintained the characteristic MSC phenotype (CD44+ and CD45−). Additionally, following osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic induction, the cells successfully produced lineage-associated products within the constructs, and the amounts of these products were controlled by varying the H2O2 concentration (1–10 mM) in the support material. Overall, the use of CVP together with H2O2 in the support material, combined with 3D bioprinting, effectively minimized adverse effects on MSC-associated properties and differentiation potential, while providing a practical strategy for regulating lineage-specific differentiation. These results demonstrate that this method enhances the utility of horseradish peroxidase-containing bioinks and offers great potential for tissue engineering applications.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Three-dimensional bioprinting
Support material
Carboxyvinyl polymer
Mesenchymal stem cell
Phenol group
Funding
This study was financially supported by the Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target-driven R&D (A-STEP) of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Japan (Grant Number JPMJTR234C), and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (Grant Number JP24KJ1658).
Conflict of interest
Shinji Sakai is an Editorial Board Member of this journal, but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. The authors declare 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
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