Scientists 3D-print functional piece of a heart
a technique for 3D-printing long cardiac macrofilaments that develop into muscle-like filaments which contract. The new method mimics the complex alignment of a heart's contracting elements while producing tissue thick enough to use in regenerative heart treatments.
The system is a refinement of Wyss' existing SWIFT bioprinting technology. Their approach created a platform with 1,050 wells, each with two microscopic pillars. Scientists filled the wells with human-induced pluripotent stem cells as well as a protein collagen and the cells used to form connective tissue. The combination forms a dense tissue that aligns along the axis linking the micropillars.
This is just a small piece of the heart. While the technology produces a relatively high output, there's much more work to be done before a fully functional, 3D-printed organic heart is available. The research group believes their work could still be useful long before reaching the whole-heart milestone. The 3D-printed filaments could be used to replace scars following heart attacks, or to create improved disease models. They might even patch holes in newborns with congenital heart defects, and would grow with those child patients. Simply put, a damaged heart might not be the permanent problem it tends to be today.
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