A research team at the Wake Forest Institute for
Regenerative Medicine led by chief researcher Anthony Atala has discovered a
method to use a specialized 3D printing system to print “human scale tissue constructs
with structural integrity.” The idea behind this process is not new; researchers
have attempted to grow new organs from a mixture of amniotic fluid and
placental derived stem cells since 1996. In fact, one of Atala’s patients, Luke
M., received one of the first genetically engineered organs, a bladder, at the
age of 10.
But, their paper published today (February 15, 2016) reveals
new methods of printing viable human organs that have capability and strength
to function within the human body. The structures are printed by an integrated
tissue-organ printer (ITOP) that is able to print cell-laden hydrogels together
with biodegradable gel in integrated patterns. The shape is created by computer
imaging data to translate cells to specific locations. After the structure is
formed, the gel polymers disintegrate, leaving behind a viable organ complete
with pathways for nutrients. Previous attempts to create organs with room for
blood vessels were too fragile, but this problem was overcome by printing tiny
blood vessels.
The team printed three different kinds of structures to show
what their printer could do: a human infant ear, muscle tissue, and a small
part of human jaw bone. These structures were implanted under the skin of mice
and rats. After a short period of time—between two weeks and five months—all
three structures not only survived, but grew to form vascularized tissue.
This structures will be specially designed for each specific patient through
technologies similar to CT scanning and MRI imaging.
Atala has been
working on this project for over 15 years. He is described by colleagues as shy
and humble, but exhibits divergent thinking in the face of a global heart
crisis. Originally he wanted to become a primary care physician in a small
community, but as he did surgeries, he was constantly "devastated" by
the fact that the tissues he was transplanting into his patients weren't ideal.
He knew that there was a better way to find tissue and organ matches for his
patients. In his 2011 TED Talk, Atala reported the statistic that in the past
decade alone, the need for organ transplants has doubled while the number of
donors have barely budged. His new 3D printing technologies could have life
changing affects for the over 123,000 patients awaiting organ transplants. Trials
are still in preclinical stages, but Atala hopes that these innovations could
be implanted in humans within the next 5 years, a novel and appropriate
solution to the global health crisis of organ shortages.
“Nothing I ever planned in my life turned out the way that I
thought it would, I just went in totally different directions at every single
step.” - Anthony Atala
Atala has been the recipient of a number of esteemed awards
throughout his research tenure, including Time Magazine’s top 10 medical
breakthroughs of the year (2003), Discover Magazine`s Number 1 Top Science
Story of the Year in the field of medicine in 2007, one of 14 Pioneers of
Medical Progress in the 21st Century in U.S. News & World Report (2009).
Dr. Atala’s work was also listed in the Huffington Post as one of 18 great
ideas of 2011, in Time Magazine as one of the top 5 medical breakthroughs of
the year in 2011, by the American Association of Retired Persons as one of the
50 influential people who will make life better in 2012, and by Time Magazine
as one of 5 discoveries that will change the future of organ transplants in
2013.
This was a super interesting read; I had no idea such technology has been developed! This is a great example of problem solving; this was a very creative approach to a very real problem. There are always so many more people in need of organs than there are organs to give. I hope to see this technology become implemented in medical field. I just wonder how this technology works in regards to the organ being a "match" for the patient. Regardless of the nuances, this is a huge step to be made in the area of organ donation/transplant.
ReplyDeleteI'd heard about this before, but I was surprised by how far this had advanced in only a few years. In high school a speaker came and told us about trying to print organs with a 3D printer, but they were having trouble with structural integrity. Seeing this brought me back to that lecture and I was amazed at how far this technology has come after only a few short years. Now the next step (from what I remember about the lecture) is reverse engineering cells to be similar to stem cells, so they can be re-engineered into the needed organ. This way the organ has the recipient's DNA and there will be no need to worry about rejection.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this post and found it extremely interesting! I think it's a great connection that science has made with technology, as 3D printing has been available in other fields since the 1980's or so to create prototypes for other projects. I'm glad Dr. Atala saw the problem with the organ transplant list, as I've seen how this problem affects people who have incorrect organ transplants. As Kathy asked, does this mean that doctors are able to grow these organs that are a match for the patient or that they grow a number of organs of varying tissue types and determine patients they will match to afterwards? Regardless, this innovation definitely makes a difference in the organ transplant list and should hopefully be utilized more often to cut down on the supply and demand of the process, extending the lives of more and more patients.
ReplyDeleteI think that this post is very interesting. I think that as our world gets more and more towards technology it has opened up a relatively new field in the form of biotechnology. I also find it interesting that Atala's experience as a surgeon is what not only inspired him but what also most likely drove him to see how much something like this is needed. I also find it fascinating that this technology may be available in such a short time as 5 years from now.
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