3D Printer Generates Synthetic Human Tissue

3D printing is certainly catching on in its very own manner, and scientists have managed to come up with a new kind of 3D printer which is capable of churning out material that resembles human tissues. This particularly unique substance is actually a deceptively simple network of water droplets that have been coated in lipids, and if it were to be further studied and improved, who knows, it could eventually be used to deliver drugs to the body. Of course, there is also the holy grail of 3D printing in the biomedical field, that is, to replace damaged tissue in living organs, which could eventually spell the end of certain kinds of cancer. Who knows what the future holds?

The creation of this synthetic tissue will comprise of lipid bilayers that separate droplets of water, which works in a rather similar manner as that of cell membranes, where it enables the body’s cells to mesh with their watery environments without getting the contents damaged. This new 3D printer will rely on a micropipette to squeeze out droplets in exact quantity to create such synthetic tissue.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Medical
Tags: 3D Printing