Scientists from the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre and the University of Padova have demonstrated the use of 3D printing inside mini-organs grown in hydrogels. This live bioprinting technique reportedly allows for precise control over the shape, activity, and growth of tissues, leading to more accurate cell and organ studies, realistic organ models, and a deeper understanding of cancer metastasis.
Tissues grown in organoids often lacks the complex structure of natural organs, hindering accurate representation. This research showcases the creation of solid structures within hydrogels to guide organoids into specific shapes in real-time using light from a high-specification microscope, ensuring precise and controlled growth.
The study, published in Nature Communications, aims to recreate and investigate organ malformations that occur during development, providing valuable insights into organ functionality. By creating better disease models, this research enhances the reliability and quality of studies, potentially reducing the need for animal research. Furthermore, it may open avenues for treating organ-specific conditions through the delivery of biologically accurate "patches" to living organs.
The application of 3D printing in this research yields several notable achievements. It enables the creation of ordered cell structures, such as aligned brain neurons, and facilitates the development of defined shapes resembling real organs, such as complex intestinal structures. Additionally, the technique allows for the patterning of hydrogels to encourage the branching of lung cells and the study of cancer cell movement through different tissue densities, according to the team.