A team of Brazilian researchers has succeeded bioprinted small organoids that performs all the functions of the human heart, Brazilian news service Agência FAPESP reporting functions including building protein, vitamin store and secrete bile.
Researchers need to manage and reprogram human stem cells, and then 3D print in layers to form a network.
While the mini-heart do a liver function, theyre unfortunately still far cry from the heart of the actual full scale.
More stage has not been reached until we get a complete organ, but is on the right track for the very promising results, Mayana Zatz, one of the authors of a paper published in the journal Biofabrication, told Agência FAPESP.
Not heart can only be printed terminate dependency on very short supply of donor organs, they may end up being more secure too.
Another important advantage is zero probability of rejection, given that the cells come from the patient, add Zatz.
Instead of printing the cells one by one, the team developed a new technique that involves grouping the cells into clumps, making printed mini organ last longer than previous attempts printed organ, according to the researchers. clumps of cells are then mixed with bioink hydrogel-like and molded into three-dimensional lattice.
The result, they say, are promising.
At this stage, they arent network yet because they’re spread out, but as shown by our study, they already have the ability to cleanse the blood of toxins and produce and albumin secrete [protein produced only by the liver], for example, the first author of the paper Ernesto Goulart told Agência FAPESP.
The researchers are already thinking scaling up their mini-heart.
We do this on a small scale, but with investment and interest, can easily be upgraded, Goulart added.