3D printed heart tissue can keep beating for 6 months

An international team of researchers has developed a new printing method to create heart tissue that can survive in vitro and function for long periods of time.

3D printed heart tissue based on vascular framework.

Biological 3D printing has many advantages and is one of the main methods for creating tissues in the body, but it still faces difficulties in producing blood vessels and maintaining cell function in complex organs. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, the University of Manchester and Delft University of Technology have overcome the limitations of conventional bioprinting systems by transforming a robotic arm into a bioprinter, allowing to print cells based on a vascular framework of complex shapes from all directions.

According to the study, published in the journal Bioactive Materials, the scientists printed several layers of cells onto the scaffold, then cultured them for a period of time to stimulate the formation of the intercellular junction and the capillary tube. Then they continue to print a new round of cells. The process can create similar vascular networks in internal organs, helping printed tissues and organs to last for a long time.

The team also developed a method of printing cells that can better maintain the natural function of cells after printing. Together with a self-designed bioreactor and repeated printing-culture methods, the new bioprinting system is capable of producing contractile heart tissue. The research results provide a promising solution for creating complex organs in vitro.