BIOPRINTING NEWS

PORCINE HEART TRANSPLANTATION TO ADULT HUMAN WITH END STAGE HEART DISEASE! The patient accepted a pig heart transplant, which was his only option for survival. In the first of its kind surgery, 57-year-old David Bennett successfully transplanted a genetically modified (GM) pig heart. The patient was found to be in good condition 3 days after the operation. The historic operation was performed at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) in the USA. This transplant showed that a genetically modified animal heart can function like a human heart without being rejected by the body. The day before the surgery, patient David Bennett told himself, “Die or get this transplant. I want to live. I know this is shooting a bullet into the dark. But this is my last choice,” he said, and accepted the heart from the pig. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency clearance for surgery on New Year's Eve through its expanded access provision. An experimental medic...

3D-BIOPRINTED TISSUES CAN BE STORED IN THE FREEZER UNTIL THE NEED! The short shelf life of 3D tissues limits their clinical use. In the case of organ transplantation, the tissue produced by the bioprinting method must be transported quickly to the place where it is needed. Otherwise, the 3D-bioprinted tissue will lose its vitality. Researchers have published a study combining 3D bioprinting and cryopreservation technique to create tissues that can be stored in a -196°C freezer and defrosted within minutes for use when needed. Biomedical engineer Y. Shrike Zhang says that there is no shelf life in the traditional bioprinting method, 3D tissues are used after bioprinting. With the cryobioprinting method, you can bioprint as much as you want and store the products in a frozen state. The bioink is flowed through the nozzle to create the defined shape, allowing the structure to form layer by layer. Bioink consists of a gelatin-like scaffold in which living cells are embedded. In cryobioprin...