A new 3D bioprinter from Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht can recreate a part of the human body with living cells in just minutes. The 3D printer allows doctors to make models of a patient's body parts, among other things. This allows them to test drugs outside the body. Riccardo Levato, a researcher at Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht, will receive an ERC grant to develop the bioprinter.
For some time, some 3D printers have been able to handle body-friendly, flexible materials containing living cells. However, many 3D printers build an object is printed layer-by-layer. This is a time-consuming process, in which the survival rate of the cells drops sharply.
Volumetric bioprinting
Researcher Biofabrication and Regenerative Medicine Riccardo Levato therefore opts for a different printing technique: volumetric bioprinting. In this technique, the 3D printer does not build up an object in layers, but uses a rotating container of liquid gel. This gel solidifies as soon as it comes into contact with laser light. Exposing the container with laser light from different angles creates a three-dimensional image in the gel. "That image, it looks like a hologram, hardens almost immediately. Not layer by layer," Levato explains. This makes the printing technique significantly faster, which increases the survival rate of cells.
Using the bioprinter, researchers can print three-dimensional objects. Examples include a heart valve, a piece of a femur or a meniscus. It is also possible to add bodily stem cells to the gel, allowing researchers to recreate parts of a patient. This makes it possible to study biological processes outside the body. "We are thinking initially about individual models, so that when we are ill we can learn more about a specific patient," Levato said.
'Gamechanger'
According to Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht, the technology 'brings us one step closer to eventually printing entire organs, making kidney dialysis, for example, unnecessary and patients no longer dependent on donor organs'. They speak of a 'gamechanger' in the field of medical 3D printing.
Levato has been awarded a €1.8m start-up grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to develop new 3D models to study diseases. The grant will allow Levato to start its own research group and purchase necessary equipment. "Thanks to the grant, we hope to have developed the technology to the point where a three-dimensional model of a bone, including bone marrow, rolls out of the printer. We want to print the model as faithfully as possible, including bone marrow cells that produce white and red blood cells," says Levato. "That allows us to study certain diseases, such as leukaemias."
Such a model helps doctors determine which therapy best suits an individual patient. "Many drugs are expensive and have side effects. With an accurate model, you can test such a treatment before exposing someone to it." Thanks to the model, fewer animal experiments are also needed when developing and testing drugs.
How complex should models be?
Now that it is possible to make individual models, the question is how complex they should be. Levato is investigating this in collaboration with colleagues. "Does every anatomical detail matter, or can we simplify it? Are all the cells in a bone structure important to recreate if we only want to study one aspect? These are questions we think about together with our biomedical colleagues. Together, we develop the technique and define the frameworks. It is a multidisciplinary project, which ties in with the biomedical expertise of Utrecht University, UMC Utrecht and the entire Utrecht Science Park."
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Photo: Pixabay / qimono
