The technology of 3D Printing is escalating and scientists are anticipating that this breakthrough will eventually lead to the printing of organs out of human cells. Eventually, in an extreme example, if somebody is in need of a heart transplant, doctors could use the patients own cells to print a new heart.
In a Fox News article, the four levels of 3D printing complexity in regards to creating organs are explained.
1. Flat Structures are the easiest to print because they are usually only one type of cell. Human skin is an example of this.
2. Tubular Structures include two major cell types like blood vessels.
3. Hollow Organs are more complex to print because they function at a higher levels and interact with other organs. Examples include the stomach and bladder.
4. Heart, Liver, and Kidneys which are extremely important and highly functioning complex organs which are the ultimate goal of 3D printing organs.
You can continue reading about organs delivered on demand here where the processes and issues are explained in even more detail.
The video below explains the process of 3D printing further and includes video and images that help to give a better understand of how one’s cells will be used to create organs. It explains strategies and problems that come with printing organs.
Below is an image of Wake Forest postdoctoral fellow Hyun-Wook Kang operating a 3-D printer that is making a kidney prototype with cells and biomaterials.
Further reading about “How 3-D Printing Body Parts Will Revolutionize Medicine”.
Emily Miglis & Khadijah Elmore
Trackbacks/Pingbacks