Posts tagged: BioprintingMedical

The medical AM segment is multifaceted, consisting of 3D printed medical devices, anatomical models, prosthetics and more. Within the industry, bioprinting has carved out a prominent position, gaining interest across the board for its huge potentials in drug development and screening, therapeutic treatments and regenerative medicine, to name but a few. While much of the excitement surrounding bioprinting is focused on the future—what it could do—we want to look at what is happening now in the field that is exciting.

The medical AM segment is multifaceted, consisting of 3D printed medical devices, anatomical models, prosthetics and more. Within the industry, bioprinting has carved out a prominent position, gaining interest across the board for its huge potentials in drug development and screening, therapeutic treatments and regenerative medicine, to name but a few. While much of the excitement surrounding bioprinting is focused on the future, we want to look at what is happening now in the field that is exciting.

A small team of researchers from the Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences (COPPS) is eyeing a future in which human corneas can be 3D printed with ease. Recently, the team accomplished a first in the United States by 3D printing a cornea using a high performance machine.

Researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW) in Australia have developed a custom 3D bioprinter dedicated specifically to treating microtia, a congenital deformity that results in an underdeveloped external ear. The bespoke bioprinter, named 3D Alek, was recently installed at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Sydney.

Stem cell research firm Celprogen Inc. has been working on something quite exciting for some time now, which has remained largely under the radar until very recently. The California-based company announced it has successfully 3D printed a human brain organelle using brain stem cells. The bioprinted brain could have applications in studying neurological diseases.

French 4D bioprinting company Poietis has announced the commercialization of its Next Generation Bioprinting (NGB) systems. The bioprinting platform, which has been in development for the past four years, is designed for tissue engineering applications in research and development or for clinical batch production.

Ali Khademhosseini, a bioengineering professor at UCLA specializing in tissue engineering and bioprinting, and his team have developed a new and innovative technique for bioprinting tubular structures that mimic complex vessel networks and ducts. The breakthrough research, recently published in the journal Advanced Materials, could enable the bioprinting of tissues for implanting or drug testing.

Though spinal cord injuries can be a life changing issue—resulting discomfort, extreme pain and even paralysis—new 3D printing research coming from the University of Minnesota could take us one step closer to treating and helping people with long-term spinal cord injuries.

Chicago-based biotech company BIOLIFE4D announced this week that it has successfully 3D bioprinted a human cardiac tissue patch, bringing the company a small step closer to its ultimate goal of 3D bioprinting a viable and transplantable human heart.

Poietis, a leading French bioprinting company and Prometheus, the Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering at KU Leuven, entered into a 2-years Collaborative Research Agreement focused on high-precision 3D Bioprinting of tissue engineered Advanced Therapeutic Medicinal Products (ATMPs) for skeletal regeneration.