3D printing with live cells reaches a new level
New 3D tissue printing without a rigid scaffold: ink made of stem cells in hydrogel beads, UV fixation - scientists have already printed cartilage for a mouse ear.
New 3D tissue printing without a rigid scaffold: ink made of stem cells in hydrogel beads, UV fixation - scientists have already printed cartilage for a mouse ear.
Scientists have long been engaged in printing tissues and organs on a three-dimensional printer. For this, a scaffold is always used, onto which living cells are seeded. The scaffold must be biodegradable. It creates certain limitations and can be toxic. The new technology eliminates this rigid base. It proposes using "ink" consisting solely of stem cells.
Hydrogel beads filling a bath where printing takes place are also used. These beads support the cells during printing, maintaining their shape and preventing migration. Once printing is complete, UV radiation is activated. It fixes the beads in place, allowing cells to connect and grow to form a stable structure.
The nutrient medium in which cells are cultivated can easily be changed, and the nutrient solution passes without problems through the base of connected beads to reach the cells. The beads can be removed and adjusted as needed if the structure requires modification. Using this technology, scientists have already printed cartilage for a mouse ear.
Book a visit — we will pick a convenient time.