Scientists opine that a day will come when they will be able to manufacture hearts that could be transplanted into humans. A team of scientist from Tel Aviv University in Israel is trying to bring that to a reality.
Researchers have successfully printed a 3D heart with the help of actual human tissue and blood vessels, according to the report paper published Monday in Advanced Science.
The team said, “While the heart isn’t full-sized — it’s about as big as a rabbit’s heart — it still marks a breakthrough.”
Lead researcher Tal Dvir said to local press, “This is the first time anyone anywhere has successfully engineered and printed an entire heart replete with cells, blood vessels, ventricles, and chambers. People have managed to 3D-print the structure of a heart in the past, but not with cells or with blood vessels.”
Many scientists have found that 3D-printing technology can be used medically. Some experts at the University of Toronto have been working on using 3D-printing technology to print skin over injuries and wounds. Scientists at the University of Minnesota have developed a transparent mouse skull using the 3D-printing technology, which can help them to better understand brain activity.
The team at Tel Aviv extracted fatty tissue from patients and used it as the “ink” for the 3D printing, a type of blueprint to create tissue models. They are planning to test out the 3D-printed heart in animals. Dvir said. “Maybe, in 10 years, there will be organ printers in the finest hospitals around the world, and these procedures will be conducted routinely.”
