Scientists could 'print' organs
Published Nov. 13, 2007
The technology has the potential to help people in need of organ donations.
MU researchers have developed a technology that allows scientists to "print" tissue that might eventually be able to create whole, functioning organs to be used for
transplants.
"Nobody has printed an organ yet, but this technology is able to produce extended biological structures and functional pieces of tissue," said physics professor Gabor Forgacs, who leads the
study.
"This is something that has the potential in it to one day print organs."
To make the tissue, scientists package cells into something that acts as a cartridge and prints the cells into two-dimensional shapes onto "bio paper."
Then, small particles called bio ink particles form to create extended structures and form the tissue.
Despite the precision of this process, Forgacs said the success of the procedure is somewhat out of his control.
"We can print these particles, but we're just placing them in some geometric shapes," Forgacs said. "Those particles fuse and the cells find the right positions that they would find under normal physiological
conditions.
The cells do the job, I don't. I just lay them down. Nature does the rest."
At the end, these cells form sheets that are about half a millimeter thick.
Forgacs said researchers have not yet been able to construct an organ, but things are moving ahead and it might be possible in the future.
If researchers succeed in creating organs, Forgacs said it would be able to help supply organs to those in need.
"We are in big need of replacement organs," he said.
"If someone is looking for a donor, the poor person may die before they find the right person, and we're interested in remedying this problem.
We're trying to find something to replace this miserable situation."