All of us have printed out material at some point of time, many of us even know about 3-D printing, which is adding another dimension to the usual paper printing. But the applications of three-dimensional printing are fascinating ranging from aerospace, food printing to bioprinting. And one of the most intriguing applications is printing human organs using this technology!
3-D printing started in the 1980’s but faced a major hurdle of not being able to create long lasting objects, and thus had limited application of being used as mere models for objects rather than the final product itself. But in the 1990’s with the development of nanotechnology, ‘nanocomposites’ were developed which provided a way to make 3-D printed objects more durable. And with that the researchers started their search for a biomaterial which could be used in bioprinting.
Finally, in 1999, the first artificial organ was developed by the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The scientists created a human bladder by developing a scaffold, which is an artificial structure which provides aid in the construction of the final structure. They then used the cells of the patient in which the organ would be implanted to develop the bladder. And reports state that the patient had no complications 10 years after this transplant! Post this major breakthrough, further cell and tissues development took place and many other organs were developed including a fully functional 3-D kidney.
The next biggest breakthrough occurred when a bio printer was developed which did not require making an artificial scaffold, and instead was able to directly create the organ.
This magnificent feat of printing organs has continued an upward journey with the development of heart valves, liver, pancreas amongst other organs and even body parts like the ears, nose etc. In 2019, scientists and researchers in Israel developed a fully functional rabbit’s heart. And by solving the complexities of the blood vessels and the massive network of them in the heart, they have created a possibility and hope of a fully functional human heart.
The human body is the most complex machine known to mankind and being able to replicate the intricate workings of this machine is an unparalleled achievement. Organ donation is one of the biggest donations that a human can offer in his lifetime by breathing life into another human. And with the advancement of the organ printing technology, these researchers and scientists are aiming to give the biggest gift to mankind.
Image credits: The Scientist Magazine
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