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organs

3D printed organs set to become ‘reality in two decades’

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Biotech firms are making progress in developing 3D-printed organs, with recent breakthroughs aiding the production of increasingly intricate tissues. Companies like Vital3D are tackling the challenge with cutting-edge technology, and seeing remarkable results.

In recent years, 3D printing has emerged as a transformative technology for the field of organ transplantation. Doctors are already using 3D-printed skin for burn treatment and wound healing, and this year has seen the first successful use of 3D-printed cartilage for ear reconstruction.

Now, amidst rising demand for organ transplants and a dire shortage of donor organs worldwide, researchers are working toward using 3D printing to produce even more complex structures, like livers, hearts, and kidneys. [Read more…] about 3D printed organs set to become ‘reality in two decades’

Can 3D printed organs alleviate shortages of kidneys for transplants?

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Rising kidney transplant demands underscore a pressing global health concern. While 3D-printed organs promise a potential solution, challenges in printing speed and accuracy persist. In this Q&A interview, Vidmantas Šakalys of Vital 3D provides valuable insights and hints at a “transformative solution on the horizon”.

The increasing demand for organ transplants paints a dire picture of the global health industry. According to the Global Observatory of Donation and Transplantation, 2021 witnessed an overwhelming 144,301 organ transplants, marking an 11.3 percent surge from 2020 with this number gradually increasing each year. Alarmingly, out of this figure, approximately two-thirds were kidney transplants.

In the United States alone, out of almost 90,000 US citizens on the wait list for a kidney transplant in a given year, only around 25,000 receive one, with 17 individuals losing their battle against time every day, succumbing to the consequences of extended waiting periods. [Read more…] about Can 3D printed organs alleviate shortages of kidneys for transplants?

International Space Station creating new biological life forms

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The International Space Station is creating new biological life forms using “cutting-edge 3D biomanufacturing”.

3D printing – also known as additive manufacturing – is a well-known method of making things here on Earth, and on the ISS, but this method uses materials such as plastics and metals.

However, 3D biomanufacturing uses biological materials such as new tissue or blood vessels. (See video below.) [Read more…] about International Space Station creating new biological life forms

New findings highlight promise of chimeric organisms for science and medicine

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cell

Rapid advances in the ability to grow cells, tissues and organs of one species within an organism of a different species offer an unprecedented opportunity for tackling longstanding scientific mysteries and addressing pressing human health problems, particularly the need for transplantable organs and tissues.

In a tour de force paper published in the January 26, 2017, issue of the journal Cell, scientists at the Salk Institute report breakthroughs on multiple fronts in the race to integrate stem cells from one species into the early-stage development of another. [Read more…] about New findings highlight promise of chimeric organisms for science and medicine