US
scientists have successfully built functional heart parts out of collagen using
a 3D bioprinter, a breakthrough they say could one day create entire organs.
Their
technique, which was described in the journal Science on Thursday, replicates
the body's own complex biological scaffolds that provide the structure and
biochemical signaling organs need to function.
"What
we were able to show was you can actually 3D print a heart valve out of
collagen, and they function," Adam Feinberg, one of the paper's co-authors
told AFP.
Previous attempts at
printing these scaffolds, known as extracellular matrices, had been hindered by
limitations that resulted in poor tissue fidelity and low resolutions.
Previous
attempts at printing these scaffolds, known as extracellular matrices, had
been hindered by limitations that resulted in poor tissue fidelity and low
resolutions.
Collagen,
which is an ideal biomaterial for the task since it is found in every tissue of
the human body, starts out as a fluid and attempting to print it resulted in
puddle of jello-like material.
But
the scientists at Carnegie Mellon University were able to overcome these
hurdles by using rapid changes in pH to cause the collagen to solidify with
precise control.
Watch:How do 3D printers work? (Deutsche Welle)
How do 3D printers work?
"That's the very first version of a valve, and so anything that we
engineer as a product will actually get better and better," Feinberg said.
The
technique could one day help patients awaiting heart transplants, but it will
need to validated through animal testing and eventually human.
"I
think more near term is probably patching an existing organ," such as a
heart that has suffered a loss of function through a heart attack, or a
degrading liver, said Feinberg.
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