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RealScientists | Rukmani

25 Mar, 12 tweets, 5 min read

Only 5% who voted in my tech poll were interested in 3D printing. Challenge accepted! Today let’s look into 3D bioprinting and how it’s already changing everything we know possible in the biomedical space.

There is so much innovation going on in the 3D printing scene that it is making headlines in all industries, automotives, space exploration, defense, consumer goods industry such as footwear, jewelry-making, and of course the medical space!

In Dentistry, everything from personalized anatomical implants, to creating cheaper orthodontic models, custom-made aligners, dentures, crowns and surgical guides are already being used in clinics around the world, with antibacterial, self-healing implants on the way.

Trachea collapse is a deadly disease that can happen in kids and adults, but can be fixed if an implant can hold it in place. 3 kids got personalized 3D printed implants that can grow with them and degrade when their airway becomes strong enough to take over.

Larger trials are being run now with both fully degradable implants and permanent implants for older adults. What I love about this study is how different each implant looked, this is what 3D printing can achieve. 100% personalized solutions. bit.ly/31fMLkZ

All of these are interesting and groundbreaking, but my heart and excitement lies in 3D bioprinting, which involves precise printing of cells in biocompatible materials to build tissues and organs. Exactly like you saw in West World. Ok hopefully not exactly.

Cells are finicky, they need certain conditions akin to what our body provides to survive and grow functional tissues. The field of 3D bioprinting with cells has been conceptualized for decades, but started picking up in early 2000s when the technology became more accessible.

Animal testing is an essential step in any clinical trial, and these tests often don’t reflect how humans respond to the drug. By using human cells in 3D printed tissues, we can eliminate millions of animal trials being run every year. bit.ly/3rmaJFC

Cosmetic companies are spending more time in collaboration with 3D printing companies getting the composition, flexibility, and texture of printed human skin right so that they can someday replace animal testing altogether. wapo.st/3chTHEl

3D printing of skin for burn victims and those with chronic skin conditions has huge potential, because skin is an easier organ to print compared to other organs. It does have complexities though, multiple cell types, textures, different elasticities, intricate blood vessels.

Also imagine our joints, which have both cartilage and bone. One is soft, mushy and elastic, the other is tough and load-bearing. A lot of progress has been made in the area with new hydrogels and polymers being developed every week.
bit.ly/3soOZKz

But the most groundbreaking technologies are still being worked on and a good few years away. Imagine being able to 3D print whole organs, our kidneys, lungs, hearts. Could this be the answer to the life-threatening organ-shortage issues?

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