Chinese scientists working for Sichuan Revotek have successfully 3-D printed blood vessels and implanted them in rhesus monkeys, the company said.
It is a major step on the road to mass printing human organs for transplants.
The company is "the first to have maintained the viability of the cells with the 3-D printing technology," said James Kang, chief scientist and CEO of Sichuan Revotek.
Producing 'bio-ink'
The key to the experiment's success was the biological material developed by Sichuan Revotek, known as bio-ink, which is made from stem cells derived from the fat tissue of monkeys.
Stem cells have the ability to grow into any cells within the , and the use of the monkey's own stem cells means the vessels won't be rejected by its immune systems once implanted.
Patented as "Biosynsphere," the bio-ink consists of stem cells in a micro-environment of growth factors and nutrients that can stimulate the cells to grow into the types of cells needed to form a functioning blood vessel.
The use of stem cells acquired from fat tissue is also safer than the usual source -- embryos, Kang said.
Scientists develop new 3D organ printer心态VS成败2017-01-10 20:27链接?