We’ve seen companies 3D print prosthetics and even bones, now a company in India has claimed to have developed 3D printable liver tissue, which they are hoping will be usable for full-fledged liver transplants, although we suppose there will be quite a bit of legal and regulatory hurdles to overcome.
According to Pandorum Technologies, the company behind the technology, they claim that these 3D printed liver tissues are made of human cells and will allow for inexpensive medical research. This also means that reachers will need to rely less on human and animal trials. The entire process could also save companies millions of dollars which is usually needed in research and development.
Pandorum Technologies’ co-founder Arun Chandru said, “Our 3D bio-printed mini-livers that mimic the human liver will serve as test platforms for discovery and development of drugs with better efficacy, less side effects and at lower costs.” Apart from being used as test platforms, 3D printable liver tissue could also be used for other purposes.
The company’s other co-founder Tuhin Bhowmick adds, “Development of artificial organs has numerous clinical uses. Cell based organoids can be used to develop bio-artificial liver support systems for preserving life in patients who have developed liver failure. In the near future, such artificial organs will address the acute shortage of human organs available for surgical transplantation.”