Decellularised-Extracellular-Matrix Photocurable Bioinks: Source Tissue, Processing, Methacrylation, Bioactivity and Variability

Decellularised extracellular matrix (dECM) bioinks combine tissue-derived biochemical complexity with the geometric control of additive biofabrication. Their central engineering difficulty is that the material is not a single polymer: source tissue, donor state, decellularisation chemistry, solubilisation, sterilisation, storage and functionalisation can all change composition before printing begins. Photocrosslinkable modification can improve shape retention and decouple deposition from slow thermal or enzymatic gelation, but it also adds new variables including substitution level, photoinitiating system, optical attenuation and light dose. This review treats photocurable dECM as a controlled-material-state problem rather than a generic bioink class. It defines the minimum characterisation needed to connect tissue source and processing history to rheology, cure response, retained bioactivity, cell response and printed geometry. Particular attention is given to the distinction between compositional variability that is intrinsic to tissue- derived materials and avoidable variability introduced by processing. The objective is to establish an evidence architecture in which photocuring improves manufacturability without obscuring the biological and chemical state of the dECM.

ER-321 · Version 0.4.