Bioprinting and synthetic biology approaches to engineer functional endocrine pancreatic constructs

Davide Ribezzi; Pere Català; Cataldo Pignatelli; Antonio Citro; Riccardo Levato

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.03.005

Bioprinting and synthetic biology approaches to engineer functional endocrine pancreatic constructs

Davide Ribezzi
, Pere Català
, Cataldo Pignatelli
, Antonio Citro
, Riccardo Levato^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Utrecht University
San Raffaele Diabetes Research Institute
University Medical Center Utrecht

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Diabetes is a complex disease affecting over 500 million people worldwide. Traditional approaches, such as insulin delivery, are mainstay treatments, but do not cure the disease. Recent advances in biofabrication and synthetic biology offer new hope for the development of tissue constructs recapitulating salient organ functions. Here, we discuss recent progress in bioprinting a functional endocrine pancreas, ranging from cell sources to main advances in biomaterials. We review innovative areas for the development of this field, with a particular focus on the convergence of synthetic biology and cell engineering with bioprinting, which opens new avenues for developing advanced in vitro models and regenerative, transplantable grafts, with the potential to provide independence from exogenous insulin administration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2133-2149
Number of pages	17
Journal	Trends in Biotechnology
Volume	43
Issue number	9
Early online date	3 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.03.005
Publication status	Published - Sept 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s)

Funding

This project received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 949806, VOLUME-BIO) and from the European's Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 964497 (ENLIGHT). In addition, the project was supported by Fondazione Italiana Diabete and Italian Ministry of Health GR-2018-12366399. The authors thank Damon Hall for assistance in the preparation of the figures. R.L. is scientific advisor for Readily3D, which was not involved in this study. The other authors declare no competing interests. This project received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [grant agreements No. 949806 (VOLUME-BIO) and No 964497 (ENLIGHT)]. In addition, the project was supported by Fondazione Italiana Diabete and Italian Ministry of Health GR-2018-12366399 . The authors thank Damon Hall for assistance in the preparation of the figures.

Funders	Funder number
Fondazione Italiana Diabete
European Research Council
European's Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
Horizon 2020	949806, 964497
Ministero della Salute	GR-2018-12366399

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

bioprinting
diabetes mellitus
endocrine pancreas
pluripotent stem cells
synthetic biology
tissue engineering

Access to Document

10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.03.005Licence: CC BY

Bioprinting and synthetic biology approaches to engineer functional endocrine pancreatic constructsFinal published version, 1.31 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "Diabetes is a complex disease affecting over 500 million people worldwide. Traditional approaches, such as insulin delivery, are mainstay treatments, but do not cure the disease. Recent advances in biofabrication and synthetic biology offer new hope for the development of tissue constructs recapitulating salient organ functions. Here, we discuss recent progress in bioprinting a functional endocrine pancreas, ranging from cell sources to main advances in biomaterials. We review innovative areas for the development of this field, with a particular focus on the convergence of synthetic biology and cell engineering with bioprinting, which opens new avenues for developing advanced in vitro models and regenerative, transplantable grafts, with the potential to provide independence from exogenous insulin administration.",

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AU - Citro, Antonio

AU - Levato, Riccardo

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AB - Diabetes is a complex disease affecting over 500 million people worldwide. Traditional approaches, such as insulin delivery, are mainstay treatments, but do not cure the disease. Recent advances in biofabrication and synthetic biology offer new hope for the development of tissue constructs recapitulating salient organ functions. Here, we discuss recent progress in bioprinting a functional endocrine pancreas, ranging from cell sources to main advances in biomaterials. We review innovative areas for the development of this field, with a particular focus on the convergence of synthetic biology and cell engineering with bioprinting, which opens new avenues for developing advanced in vitro models and regenerative, transplantable grafts, with the potential to provide independence from exogenous insulin administration.

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Bioprinting and synthetic biology approaches to engineer functional endocrine pancreatic constructs

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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