3D printed heart

Led by Prof. Tal Dvir, a team at Israel’s Tel Aviv University started by taking a fat sample from a volunteer. That fat was then separated into its cellular and non-cellular materials. The cells were subsequently programmed to become pluripotent stem cells, which are capable of differentiating into any type of body cell. Meanwhile, the extracellular matrix (the non-cellular material, which consists largely of collagen and glycoproteins) was made into a hydrogel.

Next, the stem cells were mixed into batches of the gel, after which they were prompted to differentiate into either cardiac or endothelial cells, the latter being cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels. This resulted in two types of “bio-ink” that were then extruded from the nozzle of a 3D bioprinter and into an alginate/xanthan gum supporting medium. Building up biological tissue layer by layer, this approach was first used to make patches of cardiac tissue, after which the complete heart was made.

This organ-light is only rabbit-size, but it seems likely there is a path forward for designing and building replacement organs. Professor Dvir may be a bit optimistic saying…

…maybe, in 10 years, there will be organ printers in the finest hospitals around the world, and these procedures will be conducted routinely…

…but I wouldn’t bet against it. I encourage anyone interested in this technology to read the whole article and if it’s not too far outside your expertise the referenced article in Advanced Science fills in the details.