US scientists move closer to 3D-printed livers, hearts and kidneys

Bioprinted tissue. PIC COURTESY/Carnegie Mellon University

A US research team is developing a functional 3D bioprinted liver. The project, titled Liver Immunocompetent Volumetric Engineering (LIVE), aims to address the shortage of donor organs by developing a temporary liver that buys time for the patient's own organ to heal, ultimately bypassing the need for a full transplant.

The liver is the only organ capable of complete regeneration over time. The LIVE team is using FRESH 3D bioprinting, a proprietary technique that enables researchers to print soft, delicate biological materials, such as collagen and human stem cells, into complex structures. The team believes this is the blueprint for the future of healthcare, ultimately leading to bioengineered hearts, pancreas, and other organs.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever