The health sector is eyeing another revolution and the dynamics around organ donation is set to change as scientists across the world are working on an idea called 3D organ bioprinting. Simple, the technology would empower doctors to replace a failing or infected organ with a 3D bioprint created using cells from the patient. The technology could save millions of lives and vital medical resources around the management of real organs.
According to Health website Fortune Well last year, in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Arturo Bonilla carefully transplanted the outer ear of a 20-year-old woman who was born without one. The ear on the woman’s right side was constructed in the shape and size of her left side.
“For Bonilla, a pediatric microtia surgeon (a doctor who treats birth defects of the ear) for more than 25 years and a recognized expert in the field, such a procedure would normally be routine. But in this case a The twist was: For the first time, the ear he was implanting was the product of a 3D bioprinter using the woman’s own cartilage cells,” the website said.
What is 3D Organ Bioprinting?
The process of 3D organ bioprinting involves using specialized printers and biocompatible materials to create three-dimensional structures of biological tissues. Organwhich could potentially serve as fully functional replacement organs for patients experiencing organ damage or failure.
The process typically involves four steps, including imaging the organ, creating a 3D model of it using specialized software, printing the organ using biocompatible materials such as hydrogels, and using living cells to create functional tissue. Also involves seeding the structure.
Challenges around 3D organ bioprinting
Despite significant progress in this field, there are many challenges that still need to be addressed before 3D organ bioprinting can become a widely used medical technology.
These challenges include the need for biocompatible materials that can accurately replicate the complex structure and function of real organs, developing methods for vascularizing and transfecting printed tissues, and ensuring the safety of the final product for human use. Can
already working for simple tissues
However, the technology has demonstrated its potential by successfully printing simple tissues such as skin, bone and cartilage, which offers hope for the future of this technology.
The technology could be a breakthrough around organ transplants. According to a report published in CNN, every day, 17 people die while waiting for an organ transplant and every 10 minutes, another person is added to the waiting list for organs.
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