More than 100,000 individuals are on the organ transplant list in the United States alone. Around 17 of these individuals will die every day without having received a transplant. Organs from human donors would never be enough for those looking for a transplant. As a result, scientists have been investigating alternatives. These include using organs made from reprocessed stem cells, and printed (3D-printed) organs. In this article, we discuss the future of organ transplants. The article attempts to answer concerns about technologies, such as 3D bioprinting of human organs. How close is mankind to bioprinting human internal organs?
What is bioprinting?
Bioprinters are working on the same concept as 3D printers. But, bioprinters instead deposit layers of biomaterials, like living cells. They create complex structures such as blood vessels or skin tissue. To do this, doctors extract the required cells from the patient. And then they cultivate until there is enough to produce the bio-ink. It is then put into the printer.
Most bioprinters also supply organic or synthetic dissolvable gel. It acts as a support to which cells can attach and grow. This helps them to stabilize themselves in the correct form.
However, certain cells can assume the correct positioning on their own without any additional support.
They then use their own inherent properties to look for similar cells to join. They recognize the requirements, in the same way as the embryo cells grow in the womb. Scientists may also use the printer to control the shape and create the final structure.
This technology is relatively new, scientists are studying several different printers. Thus the methods for delivering these cells and biomaterials are different. Extrusion, laser, microvalve, inkjet, and tissue fragment printing are some of the most widely used bioprinting methods.
Researchers expect that organ transplants’ future will combine all of these methods. It will provide the most significant bioprinting advances.
What Was the First 3D-Printed Organ?
Scientists at the Wake Forest Center created a synthetic human bladder in 1999. They used a synthetic scaffold coated with cells taken from the target patient to develop it. They needed the target patient’s cells to reduce the patient’s body’s chances of rejecting the synthesized organ.
Dr. Gabor Forgacs was a pioneer in research that contributed to the first successful 3D-printed organ. He began by observing the cells’ behavior and found that the cells could combine into completely new spatial structures. Perhaps all this would not have been possible without the work of Charles W. Hull (Chuck) in 1984. Hull was the researcher who developed a method of stereolithography. It is a 3D printing process that creates concept models and prototypes.
What are the benefits of 3D printed organs?
Additive Processing is highly interesting for medical applications. First of all, bioengineers are giving new materials. Now they’re going to build with natural materials. For any other technologies, this is impossible to achieve.
A lot of impressive research has led to lab-grown organs. But thanks to 3D printing, we will finally be able to build a perfect replica of the patient’s organ. And we can then manufacture it!
The use of biomaterials, particularly from the patient, means that there is no longer a risk of rejection. Sounds great. Using the patient’s tissue ensures that the new organ’s DNA would match the patient exactly. So, the risk of rejection would be eliminated.
Of course, we also have another problem: organ shortages. Bioprinting technologies may also solve this problem. The future of organ transplant techniques is no longer waiting for transplant lists. And we will no be needing organ donors at all! It looks like a dream.
Mobility is another advantage of 3D printing. In the future, we expect that every hospital will own 3D printers so that new organs could be created locally. Not just that, however, these 3D printers should be small enough to transport to rural areas. We may make new 3D printing organs and structures without wasting time transporting patients.
Also, researchers can use bio 3D printed structures for drug and cosmetic research. It is because they can react like humans. Personalized medicine is another benefit of medical 3D printing. This means no more dangerous treatments such as chemo for cancer patients. Doctors can test the medicine on a 3D printed organ build-up of the patient’s tissue.
Last but not least, Additive Manufacturing is also commonly used for educational purposes and the production of pre-operative models. This helps future and current physicians to prepare themselves for working with real patients.
Where It Stands Right Now?
Three uses of technology, already gaining popularity as viable medical industries. These include:
- Remote manufacturing of dental crowns
- Bridges and implants
- Personalized hearing aids, and prosthetics mass production
In 2003, Wake Forest printed the first fully-functional mini-kidney. It was capable of filtering the blood and producing urine. Since then, scientists have been trying to build more sophisticated organs. For example, lungs, livers, and uterus.
Organovo was the first company to launch a commercial 3D bioprinter with the Australian company Invetech. It was originally intended to manufacture a printer for commercial use. But, the company changed its business strategy to produce tissue for pharmaceutical companies. They did this after realizing the demand value for live human tissue production.
All this hard work by scientists across the world has paid off. Last year, doctors in the Netherlands created a 3D-printed prosthetic lower jaw. It was inserted in an 83-year-old woman who had a chronic bone infection. The printer created a human jaw consisting of 33 layers of titanium powder that were heated, glued together, and then covered with artificial bone.
The Future of organ transplant Is Near
According to recent figures, the current total cost of organ transplantation in the U.S. will grow to over $1 million. And according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 113,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for an organ transplant.
“Only 1 to 2 percent of people die in a way that makes them potential organ donors,” says Anne Paschke. ” Any technology, that ends up reducing the need for donor organs will save a lot of lives.”
Dr. Atala says the use of 3D printing is not only a breakthrough for patients but also doctors. The procedure can improve medical conditions by helping surgeons to plan their surgeries more effectively.
Typical treatment in the past for someone whose pelvis was fractured in a car accident was X-ray or CAT scanning broken bones, planning a surgery, and then performing surgery. It could be more successful in scanning the victim’s pelvis. And then reconstructing the broken bones three-dimensionally. Surgeons can then take the printed parts in hand, plan the needed replacement parts. And then make them ready at the time of operation.
Thus, 3D bioprinting is positioned to improve patient care quality. Also, it will facilitate pre-surgery calculations for doctors. It seems like the potential medical uses for 3D printing are limitless. It is going to be the future of organ transplants.
