Precision medicine is, broadly speaking, a sweeping aspiration that will be achieved, or not, depending on the convergence of many different disciplines. The most important of these disciplines are molecular genetics and cell biology. Besides contributing to precision medicine directly, they also contribute through 3D bioprinting. In 3D bioprinting, molecular genetics and cell biology are
In the United States alone, over 100,000 people are on the organ transplant list. Around 17 of these people will die per day without having received the transplant. It’s clear that organs from human donors will never be adequate for everyone looking for a transplant. Thus, scientists have been researching alternatives, such as using organs made from repurposed stem
If having bioprinters available to medical practitioners and hospital workers could have a huge impact on their work, then just imagine what handheld bioprinters would do for the treatment of traumatic injuries. These new devices, a few of which we have encountered in the past couple of years, are not all that common and usually highly customized,
A joint research team of POSTECH, The Catholic University, and City University of Hong Kong developed an ‘in vivo priming’ with heart-derived bioink.Using engineered stem cells and 3D bioprinting technology, they began developing medicines for cardiovascular diseases. The heart is the driving force of circulating blood in the body and pumps blood to the entire
Biomedical engineers at the UConn School of Dental Medicine recently developed a handheld 3D bioprinter that could revolutionize the way musculoskeletal surgical procedures are performed. The bioprinter, developed by Dr. Ali Tamayol, associate professor in the School of Dental Medicine biomedical engineering department, enables surgeons to deposit scaffolds–or materials to help support cellular and tissue
Researchers at EPFL have developed a new, high-precision method for 3D-printing small, soft objects. The process, which takes less than 30 seconds from start to finish, has potential applications in a wide range of fields, including 3D bioprinting. It all starts with a translucent liquid. Then, as if by magic, darker spots begin to form
A payload containing 3D printed supplies for the 3D BioFabrication Facility (BFF) has arrived on board the International Space Station (ISS) docked 248 miles above the Earth’s surface. The cargo contained samples of human cells, bio-inks, and a set of new 3D printed ceramic fluid manifolds to replace the previously used printed polymers. The new ceramic manifolds,
An EU-funded project is developing innovative ways to mimic the micro-environment that cancer cells encounter inside the human body. The creation of artificial 3D tumour models could pave the way for more accurate testing of cancer drugs and ultimately lead to better treatments. Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and, despite many
The way research in bioprinting will be taken forward has been laid out in a roadmap for the field. Published today in IOP Publishing’s Biofabrication, leading researchers define the status, challenges and opportunities in the field, and forecast the required advances in science & technology to overcome the challenges to a range of bioprinting techniques and applications.
A new handheld 3D printer developed by researchers of University of Toronto can deposit sheets of skin to cover large burn wounds – and its “bio ink” can accelerate the healing process. The device, developed by a team of researchers from U of T Engineering and Sunnybrook Hospital, covers wounds with a uniform sheet of
