Researchers replicate artery network using 3D printer A team of
bioengineers have successfully replicated a human artery
network, solving the problem of organ regeneration with a sugary
sweet solution. Using a RepRap 3D printer, researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania and MIT built a vessel network
composed of a sugary substance (sucrose, glucose and dextran)
that allows tissue to grow around it. The lattice is then
dissolved, leaving behind a hollowed-out artery structure
capable of receiving nutrients and oxygen to stop the tissue
cells from dying. It sounds like something out of Blade Runner –
but the science could be an essential step towards one day
building lab-grown organs. It's claimed that the new method
avoids many of the previous problems associated with building 3D
tissue. It may be a long time before we see this technique being
used to grow organs, but the researchers have scented the sweet
smell of success.