Innovations in 3D-printing technology for organ transplants

Using patient’s own cells in bioprinting minimizes immune rejection, a key advantage, per a 2022 CNN report.

A 2024 University of Erlangen-Nuremberg study printed a heart chamber that beat autonomously for 3 months, a step toward heart transplants.

Sacrificial writing (SWIFT) prints vascular channels to supply nutrients, enabling thicker tissues, per a 2016 Harvard Wyss Institute study.

In 1999, Wake Forest Institute printed a bladder using patient cells, avoiding rejection, a milestone in bioprinting, per CNN.

Bioinks, made of cells and biocompatible materials like hydrogels, form scaffolds for 3D-printed organs, mimicking natural tissue, per a 2024 Nature study.

3D-printed organ models, like liver chips, enable precise drug screening, reducing animal testing, per a 2020 Frontiers study.

Experts estimate 15–20 years for complex organ trials, with early trials like ear implants in 2022, per CELLINK’s 2022 BBC interview.

United Therapeutics printed a lung scaffold with 4,000 km of capillaries, advancing transplant potential, per a 2025 Labiotech report.

Creating a functional vascular network for nutrient delivery remains a major hurdle, per a 2024 Nature study.

The kidney’s intricate nephron structure makes it challenging to bioprint, though nephrons have been printed, per a 2021 PMC study.