Article
Organ printing: computer aided jet based 3D tissue engineering
Trends Biotechnol
(2003)
Abstract
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.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2003
Citation Information
Vladimir Mironov, Thomas Boland, Thomas Trusk, Gabor Forgacs, et al.. "Organ printing: computer aided jet based 3D tissue engineering" Trends Biotechnol Vol. 21 (2003) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/thomas_boland/15/