Beating heart cells 3D printed
posted 09 May 2015 at 20:51:39
Researchers at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative
Medicine in the USA have 3D printed a miniature beating heart. Using a specialised 3D printer, the
researchers converted human skin cells into a network of functioning heart
cells, or organoids. This groundbreaking work is part of a research project named ‘ Body on a Chip’ whose goal is to develop mini artificial organs such as
hearts, livers, blood vessels and lungs in order to model the body’s response
to chemical and biologic agents, and to test potential treatments. Using a 3D
printer allows the researchers to make the mini organs in various shapes and
sizes. The video shows three beating 3D printed cardiac organoids on the right,
and fused liver and heart organoids on the left.
Image: Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine