Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine have managed to 3D print structures made of living cells that were successfully implanted into animals, as reported in Nature Biotechnology on Monday.
The field of 3D-printed organs is not a new one, but these researchers managed to print all required components using the same printer and also allow for the growth of vasculature. The 3D-printed structures – ear, bone and muscle – were successfully implanted into mice and rats and survived for two months.
The next step in this line of research is to start testing in humans – cartilage is the likeliest candidate tissue type to start with as it survives well without blood vessels. This is an exciting step forward in the field of regenerative medicine, made possible by research using animals.
Read more about this study on The Verge.