Scientists from Australia’s University of Wollongong have made amazing strides towards 3Dpnting human organs and tissue for transplantation by successfully 3d printing brain-like tissue from stem cells.
Using a custom developed bioink, the researchers managed to 3d print human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) which can be generated from cells of any living person.
“This flexible 3D tissue engineering technology enables iPSCs generated from an individual’s own body to divide after printing and differentiate in a way that will allow us to form and replace any tissue type of the body,” said ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) stem cell expert Associate Professor Jeremy Crook.
“By developing this further we will be able to generate healthy and diseased tissues for research, identifying better drugs for medicine and replacing or repairing damaged tissues or organs due to injury or disease.”
The researchers state that their 3D printed tissues will one day be used for human transplantation with lower risk of immune rejection.
“Such advances are only possible through a combination of a diverse array of skills spanning materials science, cell biology and mechatronic engineering,” ACES Director Professor Gordon Wallace said.
“This convergence means we are making rapid progress towards outcomes of clinical significance.”
