3D-printed blood vessels bring artificial organs closer to reality

The field of 3D-printed organs is making significant progress, holding promise to remedy the global shortage of organ donors. According to GlobalData’s "The Future of Healthcare" report, 3D-printed organs could become a reality by 2035, potentially transforming transplantation, disease modeling, drug testing, and personalized medicine. Recent successes have demonstrated 3D printing's ability to create multilayered structures like skin, bone, and muscle, albeit not yet approved for human use, Advanced Materials published.

Emma Sturdee, an analyst at GlobalData, highlighted the customized digital manufacturing of artificial organs through bio-ink and 3D bioprinters, reducing rejection risks. Despite regulatory challenges, the field is witnessing key breakthroughs that steer it in a promising direction.

Breakthroughs showcasing 3D IQ printing this year include advances in generating tissue for treating cartilage injuries by Vienna University of Technology and a new method for printing functional brain tissue by the University of Wisconsin Madison. While fully functional and regulated 3D-printed organs remain a distant vision, the technology is currently used to create personalized medical devices like prosthetics, implants, and surgical instruments, with the dental industry leading early approvals.

3D-Printed Blood Vessels and Cardiac Tissues

Co-SWIFT InnovationA significant leap in fabricating functional human organs has been achieved by researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute and SEAS. They developed a method named Co-SWIFT (Sacrificial Writing in Functional Tissue), which recreates the multilayered architecture of native blood vessels, using a unique dual-channel nozzle. These blood vessels consist of a collagen-based shell and a gelatin-based core, forming interconnected branching networks essential for oxygenation.

This approach was validated in cell-free matrices and complex cardiac tissues, resulting in vessels that mimicked the natural perfusable vasculature. Furthermore, embedding smooth muscle and endothelial cells in the vessels demonstrated functional and structural fidelity by successfully cultivating synchronized beating heart tissues within cardiac organ building blocks.

"Topping their feats, the team illustrated the technology's potential in personalized medicine by 3D-printing a model of a real patient's left coronary artery. Looking ahead, the researchers aim to enhance miniature blood vessel networks and integrate them into lab-grown tissues to better replicate human tissue properties. Donald Ingber, the director at Wyss, praises the team’s pioneering spirit and its ongoing pursuit to implant lab-produced tissues into patients."

Forecast and Economic Impact

The 3D printing market in healthcare is projected to surge in value, reaching an estimated $9 billion by 2035 from $1.4 billion in 2023, showcasing the increasing relevance and potential of this transformative healthcare technology.

Through breakthroughs such as customizable artificial organs and vascular networks, 3D printing in healthcare will soon make a profound impact on both treatment approaches and the broader medical devices market.

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