Transforming medical images into human tissue with 3D bioprintingTransforming medical images into human tissue with 3D bioprinting

Researchers at Mayo Clinic are using technology to produce tissue models of different body parts to study damaged or diseased tissues and organs. They envision a day when a 3D bioprinter could mould living cells into a therapy or cure for complex disorders.

“3D bioprinters are just like the 3D printers that print small plastic toys or parts. Instead of using hard plastics or metals to construct a part or prototype, 3D bioprinters use biocompatible materials containing living cells to print three-dimensional structures of tissue that could be used to improve human health,” says Kevin Dicker, PhD, a bioprinting expert and a process development staff scientist for the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics in Arizona. “Bioprinters are tools to accelerate research in the field of tissue engineering.”

3D bioprinting intrigues researchers for its potential to study disease progression and screen new treatments for conditions such as end-stage organ failure, cartilage defects and atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema. Dr. Dicker and team are working to establish standard operating procedures for biomanufacturing tissue for testing in early-stage clinical trials. This pioneering work is aimed at integrating tissue engineering into therapies that could be studied in clinical trials.

The 3D bioprinter uses a digital blueprint of a design from medical imaging, such as MRI or CT scans. This powerful, high-tech tool precisely places bioinks composed of living cells, hydrogels, biomaterials and growth factors, in a layer-by-layer fashion. The final 3D tissue model can mimic the structure, mechanics and physiology of human organs, muscle or cartilage.

Complex tissue structures that come from the 3D bioprinter have allowed researchers to study ways to bioprint human organs. Mayo Clinic has developed the capability of bioprinting skin to mimic inflammatory skin disease. This bioprinted skin model is being studied in the lab of Saranya Wyles, MD, PhD, to test treatments and understand disease progression for conditions such as atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Besides its use for disease models, this emerging technology is being explored for manufacturing human tissue and organs.

“The ultimate goal is to someday be able to print organs and tissue on demand. However, we aren’t quite there yet,” Dr. Dicker says. “We hope to advance this technology as a solution to the global shortage of donor organs. If we can bioprint functional kidneys, for example, that would be a huge relief on the healthcare system.”

In Arizona, the research team of David Lott, MD, is developing 3D bioprinted implants for the larynx or trachea. The implants could be used to replace damaged or diseased portions of the organ while maintaining healthy tissue.

While 3D bioprinting holds a high potential, Mayo Clinic and other research institutions still have challenges to overcome. For a bioprinted organ to work, it must have a connection to blood, oxygen and nutrients. Researchers have struggled to grow a network of capillaries and blood vessels in the bioprinted structures at scale that would deliver those vital elements. Another challenge is how to integrate the bioprinted tissues with the human body while preventing rejection of the implant.