What if I told you that you can create a perfectly functioning heart or perhaps a brain with a special kind of printer and ink? What if instead of 3D printing whistles and door handles, you could 3D print an organ? With the advancement of technology, almost all of these seemingly impossible ideas have now been made possible!
3D bioprinting is a technological concept that involves the precise layer-by-layer deposition of living cells to fabricate three-dimensional structures that mimic the complexity of tissues and organs. Bioprinters use ‘bio-inks’, usually composed of cells suspended in a special gel called ‘hydrogel’ which protects, nourishes, and holds the cells together. Some bio-inks contain a single type of cell whereas others contain multiple types of cells or multiple bio-inks used side by side, each with a different cell type.
Bioprinting techniques are categorized based on the method by which they turn the bio-ink into a specific shape. Extrusion-based bioprinting involves forcing continuous filaments of a material through a nozzle in a controlled manner to create a 3D structure. It finds applications in tissue engineering, such as in creating skin grafts and cartilage structures. Inkjet-based bioprinting is similar to traditional inkjet printing i.e. a pulse of pressure is used to eject a droplet of bio-ink. This finds use in creating tissue models for drug screening and constructing vascular networks. Laser-assisted bioprinting uses lasers to position cells on a substrate accurately or the place where the tissues will lie. When the laser reaches the ribbon, it heats and expands it, propelling a tiny amount of bio-ink on the substrate. It's often used in tissue engineering and organ-on-a-chip platforms.
With bioprinters, healthy cells taken from a patient's organ can be used in bio-ink to produce fully functional organs from scratch. The demand for organs on organ transplant lists can finally be equal to the supply of healthy organs. During drug testing, certain drugs can cause irreversible harm to the organism’s body. With bioprinting, drugs can be tested on the replicas of organs, thus preventing any damage to humans and animals.
Bioprinters offer opportunities to revolutionize healthcare, drug discovery, and tissue engineering. With this concept in hand, we can finally provide a beacon of hope for those who need transplants, promising them their vibrant life back.
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