Clickable Dynamic Bioinks Enable Post-Printing Modifications of Construct Composition and Mechanical Properties Controlled over Time and Space

This study introduces a new class of ‘clickable dynamic bioinks’ for 4D bioprinting that combine boronate ester-based dynamic covalent crosslinking with bioorthogonal click chemistry to achieve post-printing control over mechanical and biochemical properties. Using hyaluronic acid as the base polymer, the researchers developed printable and cytocompatible hydrogels capable of adjusting composition, stiffness, and cell adhesion through strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC). The resulting bioinks enabled on-demand modification of constructs over time and space, allowing controlled reinforcement, biofunctionalization with peptides, and localized regulation of cell behavior, establishing a foundation for dynamic tissue engineering and disease modeling.