Comparison of Printable Biomaterials for Use in Neural Tissue Engineering: An In Vitro Characterization and In Vivo Biocompatibility Assessment Etayo Escanilla, Miguel Campillo, Noelia Ávila-Fernández, Paula Baena, José Manuel Chato Astrain, Jesús Campos Sánchez, Fernando Sanchez Porras, David García García, Oscar Darío Carriel Araya, Víctor Neural tissue engineering Biomaterials 3D printing Nervous system traumatic injuries are prevalent in our society, with a significant socioeconomic impact. Due to the highly complex structure of the neural tissue, the treatment of these injuries is still a challenge. Recently, 3D printing has emerged as a promising alternative for producing biomimetic scaffolds, which can lead to the restoration of neural tissue function. The objective of this work was to compare different biomaterials for generating 3D-printed scaffolds for use in neural tissue engineering. For this purpose, four thermoplastic biomaterials, ((polylactic acid) (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), Filaflex (FF) (assessed here for the first time for biomedical purposes), and Flexdym (FD)) and gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogel were subjected to printability and mechanical tests, in vitro cell–biomaterial interaction analyses, and in vivo biocompatibility assessment. The thermoplastics showed superior printing results in terms of resolution and shape fidelity, whereas FD and GelMA revealed great viscoelastic properties. GelMA demonstrated a greater cell viability index after 7 days of in vitro cell culture. Moreover, all groups displayed connective tissue encapsulation, with some inflammatory cells around the scaffolds after 10 days of in vivo implantation. Future studies will determine the usefulness and in vivo therapeutic efficacy of novel neural substitutes based on the use of these 3D-printed scaffolds. 2024-07-23T09:51:47Z 2024-07-23T09:51:47Z 2024-05-17 journal article Etayo Escanilla, M. et. al. Polymers 2024, 16, 1426. [https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16101426] https://hdl.handle.net/10481/93394 10.3390/polym16101426 eng info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EU/PRTR/009070 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ open access Atribución 4.0 Internacional MDPI