Organ printing: computer-aided jet-based 3D tissue engineering.
Tissue engineering technology promises to solve the organ transplantation crisis. However, assembly of vascularized 3D soft organs remains a big challenge. Organ printing, which we define as computer-aided, jet-based 3D tissue-engineering of living human organs, offers a possible solution. Organ printing involves three sequential steps: pre-processing or development of "blueprints" for organs; processing or actual organ printing; and postprocessing or organ conditioning and accelerated organ maturation. A cell printer that can print gels, single cells and cell aggregates has been developed. Layer-by-layer sequentially placed and solidified thin layers of a thermo-reversible gel could serve as "printing paper". Combination of an engineering approach with the developmental biology concept of embryonic tissue fluidity enables the creation of a new rapid prototyping 3D organ printing technology, which will dramatically accelerate and optimize tissue and organ assembly.
Mironov
Vladimir
V
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. mironovv@musc.edu
Boland
Thomas
T
Trusk
Thomas
T
Forgacs
Gabor
G
Markwald
Roger R
RR
D001187:Artificial Organs; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D008954:Models, Biological; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends