Archean
Posts: 5,650 +102
First working 3D printed human liver could arrive in 2014
If you thought 3D printing human organs was a sci-fi fantasy you’d never see in your lifetime, prepare to be shocked. We’ve already seen basic layers of liver cells printed, with the created liver surviving for almost a month. But because of a lack of vascular system they weren’t useful long term. Now that's changed.
Organovo, a 3D organ printing specialist, says it has overcome the problem of creating a blood supply to the organ with a system of veins and arteries. It believes that its previous success of keeping a liver alive for 40 days will be beaten in 2014, thanks to this vascular system it can now print.
If they can succeed in stabilizing and maturing this tech. it can save so many lives especially in developing world, where HCV is causing havoc.
If you thought 3D printing human organs was a sci-fi fantasy you’d never see in your lifetime, prepare to be shocked. We’ve already seen basic layers of liver cells printed, with the created liver surviving for almost a month. But because of a lack of vascular system they weren’t useful long term. Now that's changed.
Organovo, a 3D organ printing specialist, says it has overcome the problem of creating a blood supply to the organ with a system of veins and arteries. It believes that its previous success of keeping a liver alive for 40 days will be beaten in 2014, thanks to this vascular system it can now print.
If they can succeed in stabilizing and maturing this tech. it can save so many lives especially in developing world, where HCV is causing havoc.
