3D Bioprinting

Article

3D bioprinting is the future technology that has scientists around the world talking. This so-called 3D bioprinter disperses different types of cells in thin layers along with a dissolvable gel to support the cells. Over a period of several hours, a complete organ can be created. This bioprinting technology could also have a variety of medical applications ranging from scanning wounds and spraying on layers of cells, rapidly healing the patient, to cosmetic applications such as evaporating existing flesh and replacing it with new cells to obtain youthful skin. Ideally, the cells that will be used to create organs will come from the patient, therefore reducing rejection of the organ. This method is much more efficient and would make organ donor lists a thing of the past. One bioprinting company is Organovo. Researchers have successfully used inkjet technology to create functional blood vessels and cardiac tissue using cells from a single person. They are also working on situ bioprinting to help heal wounds of soldiers on the battlefield.

This area of research is very exciting and brings hope for future advances through tissue engineering. I believe that it is an area of research in which engineers should invest their time because this technology has the potential to change many aspects of the medical world. Organs for transplant would be made more avaliable and have a higher success rate because they are made from the patient's own cells and wounds could be healed quicker. I believe that this technology will advance but one road block will be creating more complex organs such as the heart.