AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB026220223
Cite this article
18
Download
555
Views
Related Info Links
More by Authors Links
Journal Browser
Volume | Year
Issue
Search
News and Announcements
View All
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Development and characterization of a novel anti-reflux artificial lacrimal duct via 3D printing for lacrimal system reconstruction

Bingran Dong1† Fang Bai1† Hai Tao1* Sha Huang2*
Show Less
1 Senior Department of Ophthalmology, Third Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
2 Research Center for Tissue Repair and Regeneration affiliated to the Medical Innovation Research Department, PLA General Hospital and PLA Medical College, Beijing, China
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
Received: 28 May 2026 | Revised: 24 June 2026 | Accepted: 30 June 2026 | Published online: 30 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing in Clinical Application)
© 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

Severe lacrimal duct defects, including congenital absence and traumatic obliteration, remain formidable clinical challenges. Current therapeutic strategies, such as Jones tube prosthesis implantation, are severely limited by poor biocompatibility, susceptibility to displacement, and retrograde infections caused by fluid reflux. To address these limitations, we developed a novel anti-reflux artificial lacrimal duct using three-dimensional (3D) printing that integrates biomimetic hydrodynamic design with a biochemically optimized microenvironment. A meticulously engineered photopolymerizable composite hydrogel—comprising 15% polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), 3% acrylamide, and 5% gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) (60% degree of substitution)—was formulated as a high-strength hydrogel ink. Using 3D printing, we precisely fabricated an artificial lacrimal duct with a biomimetic unidirectional valve that simulates the natural Hasner valve. Guided by proteomic screening, the luminal surface of the construct was subsequently functionalized with a young donor-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) coating, onto which epidermal stem cells (ESCs) were seeded. The structural PEGDA/polyacrylamide network endowed the construct with superior printability and the requisite mechanical resilience to withstand valve fatigue. Hydrodynamic characterizations demonstrated that the 3D-printed valve effectively prevented fluid reflux while maintaining normal drainage, providing a robust physical barrier against retrograde infections. Biologically, the incorporation of GelMA-60 into the bulk scaffold and the young dECM coating at the luminal interface established a rejuvenated biochemical niche that exhibited excellent biocompatibility and successfully induced the targeted differentiation of ESCs into the lacrimal epithelial lineage. By synergizing physical anti-reflux hydrodynamics with omics-driven microenvironment rejuvenation, this composite 3D-printed construct enables superior tissue integration and infection resistance, presenting a highly promising tissue-engineered alternative for lacrimal system reconstruction.

 

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Three-dimensional printing
Tissue-engineered lacrimal duct
Anti-reflux valve
Microenvironment rejuvenation
Proteomics-guided selection
Epithelial differentiation
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
References
  1. Fiorino MG, Quaranta‐Leoni C, Quaranta‐Leoni FM. Proximal lacrimal obstructions: a review. Acta Ophthalmol. 2021;99(7):701-711. doi: 10.1111/aos.14762
  2. Ali MJ, Paulsen F. Ultrastructure of the lacrimal drainage system in health and disease: A major review. Ann Anat. 2019;224:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.aanat.2019.02.003
  3. Ali MJ. Updates on congenital lacrimal drainage anomalies and their association with syndromes and systemic disorders: A major review. Ann Anat. 2021;233:151613. doi: 10.1016/j.aanat.2020.151613
  4. Iandelli A, Carobbio ALC, Migliardi R, et al. Application of a symptoms score questionnaire after conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy: outcomes. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2021;41(3):248-254. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-N0881
  5. Nowak R. Management of inferior dislocation of a StopLoss Jones tube after conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy. BMJ Case Rep. 2020;13(11):e236003. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-236003
  6. Jamshidian-Tehrani M, Kashkouli MB, Ghahvehchian H, Amini M. Lacrimal Canalicular Bypass Surgery with Autologous Superficial Temporal Artery Graft. J Curr Ophthalmol. 2023;34(4):486-488. doi: 10.4103/joco.joco_98_22
  7. Park MS, Chi MJ, Baek SH. Clinical study of endoscopic endonasal conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with Jones tube placement. Ophthalmologica. 2007;221(1):36-40. doi: 10.1159/000096520
  8. Ullrich K, Malhotra R, Patel BC. Dacryocystorhinostomy. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026. Available March 15, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557851/
  9. Steele EA. Conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with Jones tube: a history and update. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2016;27(5):439-442. doi: 10.1097/ICU.0000000000000287
  10. Ahn ES, Dailey RA, Radmall B. The Effectiveness and Long-Term Outcome of Conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy With Frosted Jones Tubes. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2017;33(4):294-299. doi: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000000764
  11. Dondossola E, Holzapfel BM, Alexander S, Filippini S, Hutmacher DW, Friedl P. Examination of the foreign body response to biomaterials by nonlinear intravital microscopy. Nat Biomed Eng. 2016;1(1):0007. doi: 10.1038/s41551-016-0007
  12. Abel AD, Meyer DR. Refractory medial conjunctival inflammation associated with Jones tubes. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2003;19(4):309-312. doi: 10.1097/01.IOP.0000075017.89210.1E
  13. Shah SS, Ashurst JV. Dacryocystitis. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026. Available March 15, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470565/
  14. Can I, Aribal E, Yarangümeli A, Ataoğlu H, Kural G. Changes in the conjunctival flora after conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy (CDCR): a preliminary report. Eur J Ophthalmol. 1998;8(3):142-147. doi: 10.1177/112067219800800304
  15. Epling J. Bacterial conjunctivitis. Am Fam Physician. 2010;82(6):665.
  16. MacNeil S. Progress and opportunities for tissue-engineered skin. Nature. 2007;445(7130):874-880. doi: 10.1038/nature05664
  17. Fuchs E, Blau HM. Tissue Stem Cells: Architects of Their Niches. Cell Stem Cell. 2020;27(4):532-556. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.09.011
  18. Watt FM. Mammalian skin cell biology: at the interface between laboratory and clinic. Science. 2014;346(6212):937-940. doi: 10.1126/science.1253734
  19. Jackson CJ, Tønseth KA, Utheim TP. Cultured epidermal stem cells in regenerative medicine. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2017;8(1):155. doi: 10.1186/s13287-017-0587-1
  20. Raja E, Changarathil G, Oinam L, et al. The extracellular matrix fibulin 7 maintains epidermal stem cell heterogeneity during skin aging. EMBO Rep. 2022;23(12):e55478. doi: 10.15252/embr.202255478
  21. Statzer C, Park JYC, Ewald CY. Extracellular Matrix Dynamics as an Emerging yet Understudied Hallmark of Aging and Longevity. Aging Dis. 2023;14(3):670-693. doi: 10.14336/AD.2022.1116
  22. Schultz GS, Wysocki A. Interactions between extracellular matrix and growth factors in wound healing. Wound Repair Regen. 2009;17(2):153-162. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-475X.2009.00466.x
  23. Sun Y, Li W, Lu Z, et al. Rescuing replication and osteogenesis of aged mesenchymal stem cells by exposure to a young extracellular matrix. FASEB J. 2011;25(5):1474-1485. doi: 10.1096/fj.10-161497
  24. Jiang D, Xu B, Gao P. Effects of young extracellular matrix on the biological characteristics of aged tendon stem cells. Adv Clin Exp Med. 2018;27(12):1625-1630. doi: 10.17219/acem/75503
  25. Laude M, Kolliopoulos V, Mikos AG, White LJ, Cosgriff-Hernandez E. Extracellular-Matrix-Based Materials from Decellularized Tissue: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions in Regenerative Medicine. Adv Healthc Mater. 2026;15(1):e02107. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202502107
  26. Taylor DA, Sampaio LC, Ferdous Z, Gobin AS, Taite LJ. Decellularized matrices in regenerative medicine. Acta Biomater. 2018;74:74-89. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.04.044
  27. Yan X, Huang H, Bakry AM, Wu W, Liu X, Liu F. Advances in enhancing the mechanical properties of biopolymer hydrogels via multi-strategic approaches. Int J Biol Macromol. 2024;272(Pt 2):132583. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132583
  28. Zhao X. Multi-scale multi-mechanism design of tough hydrogels: building dissipation into stretchy networks. Soft Matter. 2014;10(5):672-87. doi: 10.1039/c3sm52272e
  29. Liu Y, He W, Zhang Z, Lee BP. Recent Developments in Tough Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications. Gels. 2018;4(2):46. doi: 10.3390/gels4020046
  30. Grigoryan B, Paulsen SJ, Corbett DC, et al. Multivascular networks and functional intravascular topologies within biocompatible hydrogels. Science. 2019;364(6439):458-464. doi: 10.1126/science.aav9750
  31. Xu R, Ooi HS, Bian L, Ouyang L, Sun W. Dynamic hydrogels for biofabrication: A review. Biomaterials. 2025;320:123266. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123266
  32. Patrocinio D, Galván-Chacón V, Gómez-Blanco JC, et al. Biopolymers for Tissue Engineering: Crosslinking, Printing Techniques, and Applications. Gels. 2023;9(11):890. doi: 10.3390/gels9110890.
  33. Alparslan C, Bayraktar Ş. Advances in Digital Light Processing (DLP) Bioprinting: A Review of Biomaterials and Its Applications, Innovations, Challenges, and Future Perspectives. Polymers. 2025;17(9):1287. doi: 10.3390/polym17091287
  34. Kunwar P, Andrada BL, Poudel A, et al. Printing Double-Network Tough Hydrogels Using Temperature-Controlled Projection Stereolithography (TOPS). ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2023;15(25):30780-30792. doi: 10.1021/acsami.3c04661
  35. Li W, Hu X, Liu H, et al. 3D light-curing printing to construct versatile octopus-bionic patches. J Mater Chem B. 2023;11(22):5010-5020. doi: 10.1039/D3TB00590A
  36. Zhang D, Yang J, Le X, Song D. Editorial for Special Issue: Advances in Smart and Tough Hydrogels. Gels. 2023;9(10):789. doi: 10.3390/gels9100789
  37. Ban Y, Yoshida Y, Aziza Y, Kinoshita S, Sotozono C. Strengthening of the barrier function in human telomerase reverse transcription (hTERT) immortalized corneal and conjunctival epithelium by double-stranded RNA. Exp Eye Res. 2023;227:109357. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109357
  38. Mohamed YH, Uematsu M, Kusano M, Inoue D, Tang D, Suzuki K, Kitaoka T. A Novel Technique for Corneal Transepithelial Electrical Resistance Measurement in Mice. Life. 2024;14(8):1046. doi: 10.3390/life14081046
  39. Gwaltney JM Jr, Hendley JO, Phillips CD, Bass CR, Mygind N, Winther B. Nose blowing propels nasal fluid into the paranasal sinuses. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;30(2):387-391. doi: 10.1086/313661
  40. Kudo A. Periostin in fibrillogenesis for tissue regeneration: periostin actions inside and outside the cell. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2011;68(19):3201-3207. doi: 10.1007/s00018-011-0784-5
  41. Zihni C, Mills C, Matter K, Balda MS. Tight junctions: from simple barriers to multifunctional molecular gates. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2016;17(9):564-580. doi: 10.1038/nrm.2016.80
Share
Back to top
International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing