The heart of 3D printing is expected to be realized within 10 years

Use a printer to create a heart that beats in the body? This is not the plot of science fiction. It is a subject that scientists at the University of Louisville are studying. Researchers say that this bioartificial heart is expected to enter human experiments within ten years.

Ten years outlook

Stewart Williams, the biologist responsible for the project, said that so far the research team has used 3D printing to print human heart valves and small blood vessels. Experiments have shown that these small blood vessels can work normally in small animals such as rats.

The research team plans to print out the components of the heart in three to five years and then manually combine them. However, the ultimate goal of this project is to use human autologous cells to print a complete heart that can be used for transplantation. Such a heart does not bring about rejection problems like the heart or artificial heart donated by others, and patients do not need to take anti-rejection drugs after transplantation.

If all goes according to plan, this bioartificial heart is expected to enter human experiments within ten years.

Existing application

The principle of 3D printing is similar to common ink jet printing except that the ink is ejected during ink jet printing. When the heart is printed, the cells are ejected from the needle. The cells are stacked one on top of the other to form a three-dimensional structure. heart.

Williams said that the printing cells were taken from the patient's fat. These cells need to be purified by the instrument, mixed with the gel, and placed in the printer's "cartridge" to be printed in a preset shape. Ultimately, these cells grow together and form tissues.

3D printing technology has been put into application in the medical community. Cornell University researchers printed one ear with live cells a year ago.

Challenges

Printing a heart with 3D printing is easier said than done. Researchers say that the biggest challenge they face is to let the printed cells work together like real heart cells. In addition, how to keep these artificial tissues alive after printing is also an urgent problem to be solved.

Dr. Anthony Attale of Wake Forest University, who is trying to print kidneys with 3D printing, said: "The kidneys and heart are complex organs. We must supply oxygen to these (printing) organs to ensure their vitality until they can With the body as a whole."

(Editor)

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