Can you print an organ?

Original Article: https://www.medgadget.com/2023/08/3d-printed-heart-muscle-beats.html

3D Printed Heart Muscle

Scientists and engineers at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have created a 3D printed heart using a special gel and harvested heart cells. With special fiber and polymer technology, the cells mimicked human heart cells organization and structure. When electricity is added, the heart was able to contract, just like our own hearts!

Uses of the Design 

This new technology has the potential to be used to make heart components that could replace unhealthy human heart parts. Because it mimics a human heart, it could also be used to test new drugs to explore their safety and effectiveness on an accurate model. 

This type of bioengineering offers huge potential in replacing diseased tissues. This approach involves using rotary spinning to create thin gelatin fibers, similar to the way cotton candy is created. As well as increasing access to organs needed for transplantation, this approach also has the potential to reduce the costs for health systems providing organ transportation.