Breakthrough technology: Successful 3D printing of human ears with blood vessels and cartilage

Experts have recently succeeded in printing a "alive" ear, marking a turning point in the medical technology industry.

Recently with 3D printing technology, experts have reproduced human ears with both blood vessels and ear cartilage. This is considered a breakthrough, creating the foundation for the "printing" of replacement parts on the human body in the future.

Experts have recreated the human ear with both the blood vessels and the ear cartilage.

This is the success of regenerative medicine scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (WFBMC) in Winston-Salem (USA).

Specifically, they used a 3D bioprinter - a machine that can print cells in layers, forming tissues or organs in the body.

However, the drawback of this machine is that the finished product lacks stability, is very "fragile " so it cannot be used for transplanting into the human body.

Moreover, this printer cannot print blood vessels, so the tissue forming will be about 200 micrometers in size - which is too small to work on the human body.

This printer cannot print blood vessels, so the tissue forming will be about 200 micrometers in size.

And now, Dr. Anthony Atala and his colleagues at WFBMC have solved these problems. By adding a form of bio-polymer , the resulting cells are much healthier, enough to withstand until new tissue is formed.

The next problem is making sure the cells live long enough to connect to the body. But with the 10-year built-in organ and tissue integration system (Itop), scientists have successfully built a "bio-ink" that is primarily water to connect cells, at the same time. Print out tiny "paths" inside transporting nutrients and oxygen.

Scientists have implanted a human ear from 3D printing technology into the skin of mice.

Dr Atala said: "This result shows that our biological ink, combined with micro-pathways, has created the right conditions to nourish and support tissue growth."

To prove this, scientists have implanted a human ear from 3D printing technology into the skin of mice. After 2 months, the ear is still intact, while forming cartilage and blood vessels.

Many people consider this a breakthrough of 3D printing technology in particular, and of the medical industry in general. As for experts, they are aiming for a future when human biological tissues will be printed in mass at very affordable prices.

The study is published in Nature Biotechnology.