AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB026160140
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Hydroxyapatite–alginate–gelatin bioinks for bioprinting: Printability, microarchitecture, and dental pulp stem cell viability and morphology

Aloyma Lugo1 Jorge F. Beltran1 Luis Jimenez1 Dayana Pérez1 Cristina Bucchi2 Yolanda Calle3 Jorge Farias Avendaño1 Mauricio Zamorano1*
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1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
2 Research Centre in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
3 School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
Received: 16 April 2026 | Revised: 4 June 2026 | Accepted: 16 June 2026 | Published online: 17 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/ )
Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting enables the fabrication of scaffolds with highly controlled architectures; however, the extent to which modest shifts in bioink composition simultaneously influence scaffold stabilization and the resulting early cellular microenvironment remains insufficiently understood. This study investigated the influence of hydroxyapatite (HAp) concentration within a low loading range (1–2% w/v) on the printability, crosslinking stability, and microarchitecture of pre-crosslinked alginate–gelatin composite bioinks, as well as on the immediate viability and morphological adaptation of encapsulated human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). Bioinks were characterized via physicochemical analysis, while printing performance was evaluated under varied operational conditions. Structural properties were assessed through micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and swelling kinetics, whereas early cellular responses were monitored via Live/Dead staining and fluorescence-based morphometric analysis. Printability parameters were primarily dictated by nozzle diameter and layer count, with the 22G nozzle yielding larger pore sizes (1,132 vs. 940 µm) and pore areas (0.749 vs. 0.515 mm2) than the 20G nozzle. Micro-CT confirmed highly interconnected structures with porosities of 74–78%, where the 2% HAp group promoted a highly homogeneous trabecular spacing centered between 700 and 850 µm. Incremental HAp content significantly suppressed matrix swelling kinetics in a concentration-dependent manner. Biologically, all formulations sustained high post-printing cell survival (>70%) that exceeded 90% after seven days. HAp-containing hydrogels promoted significantly higher cell viability and increased cell spreading areas. These findings underscore that small variations in HAp content influence scaffold stabilization kinetics and early stem cell behavior, while manufacturing parameters remain the primary determinants of initial geometry.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Composite alginate-based bioinks
Bioprinting
Printability
Dental pulp stem cells
Cell viability
Funding
The authors would like to thank the National Research and Development Agency of Chile (ANID) for the financial support through the FONDECYT Regular project No. 1240197, FONDECYT Initiation project No. 11230701, and FONDEQUIP project No. EQM220061.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing