In a remarkable breakthrough, bioengineers have developed an innovative bioprinting method that brings us one step closer to 3D printing replacement organs. This pioneering technique allows for the creation of intricately woven vascular networks that resemble the body’s natural channels for vital fluids like blood and air.
Highlighted in the recent issue of Science, the research showcases a captivating demonstration: a hydrogel model of an air sac that functions like a lung, where airways supply oxygen to surrounding blood vessels. Furthermore, the study shares successful experiments of implanting bioprinted constructs filled with liver cells into mice.
Spearheading this project were Jordan Miller from Rice University and Kelly Stevens from the University of Washington School of Medicine and UW College of Engineering. Their research team consisted of experts from various esteemed institutions. Miller emphasized the importance of their achievement, saying, “Our bioprinting technology uniquely addresses the challenge of multivascularization directly.”
Stevens added that this breakthrough could potentially revolutionize tissue engineering. She believes that by successfully recreating tissues that resemble and function like natural tissues, it could change the landscape of therapeutic applications.
With over 100,000 people on organ transplant waiting lists in the U.S., bioprinting offers a promising solution. The ability to print organs from a patient’s cells would reduce the need for immunosuppressive drugs and tackle the organ shortage problem. Miller envisions bioprinting becoming an integral part of medical treatments within the next two decades.
Their innovative bioprinting technique, named the “stereolithography apparatus for tissue engineering” (SLATE), employs additive manufacturing to produce soft hydrogels layer-by-layer. The method ensures robustness and precision, allowing the creation of structures like the lung-mimicking model which effectively facilitated gas exchange similar to human lungs.
Miller, together with the co-founders of design firm Nervous System, designed the study’s intricate lung model. They also successfully implanted 3D printed tissues into mice with liver disease, further emphasizing the potential of their bioprinting technique.
Currently, aspects of this research are being commercialized through a startup called Volumetric, co-founded by Miller and Bagrat Grigoryan, a Rice graduate student. In line with Miller’s commitment to open-source 3D printing, all data and design files from the research are publicly accessible, encouraging further exploration and innovation in the field.
Miller expressed optimism, stating, “We’ve just begun our journey in understanding the complexities of the human body’s architecture, and there’s much more to discover.”
Support for this groundbreaking work was provided by several foundations, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Gulf Coast Consortia.