What is Bioprinting?
Bioprinting is a process very similar to that of 3D printing in its ability to produce three-dimensional objects by constructing a product layer by layer. However, rather than using inanimate materials such as plastic, bioprinting uses organic material to produce human tissue. This organic material, often called “bio-ink,” can consist of a biological “glue” and cells gathered from the patient, offering a customized solution that the patient's immune system would be more likely to accept.
Its current applications
Through bioprinting, scientists have been able to successfully recreate a variety of tissues that have relatively simple structures, such as blood vessels. For more complex tissues, scientists have had to come up with unique solutions. In the case of replicating heart tissue, multiple pieces of tissue spheroids of human vascular endothelial cells were generated separately to be later fused together to produce a single patch of cardiac tissue.
Although progress has been made in regard to bioprinting heart tissues, there is much left to be desired. A notable area of improvement necessary to advance bioprinting is improvement in the “bio-inks” themselves. For instance, it was observed that hydrogels, the main biomaterials used in bioprinting, were too soft to be suitable for standard physiological conditions. It is necessary to develop biomaterials comparable to the properties of native tissues and organs to increase the efficacy of bioprinting.
Bioprinting complex organs remains a daunting task, but scientists have made steady advancements towards this goal. Besides improving bioprinted tissue development, today, it is currently possible to bioprint less complex organs. At Wake Forest University, researchers have successfully bioprinted and transplanted a working bladder. First, cells from the patient’s original bladder were taken and multiplied, with researchers adding in nutrients throughout the cultivation period. With enough cells, researchers then used a special mould, designed to break apart within the patient’s body, to shape the conglomerate of cells into the form of a bladder. At the end of its incubation period, the newly formed bladder was able to be transplanted into the patient, and because the bioprinted bladder consists of the patient's cells, there was very little issue with rejection.
Moreover, bioprinting currently has relevance in cancer research. In offering three-dimensional models for tumors, bioprinting offers a better model for analyzing complex cellular interactions that are not as apparent in 2D models. This technology has enabled researchers to model the growth of a variety of cancers, including pancreatic and breast cancer, and assess treatment efficacy.
For now, the ability to successfully bioprint fully functioning, intricate organs (such as hearts and kidneys) is still at least 10 years away, but great progress has been made in advancing this science. Today, bioprinting is already proving its worth when it comes to helping the patient, and through the natural progression of science and technology, the future of bioprinting is bright.
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