Scientists 3D print heart in major medical breakthrough

From spare parts and guns, 3D printing is becoming a promising approach in engineering personalized tissues and organs in cases when regeneration of cells is difficult and replacement of damaged ones is expensive.

Scientists at the Tel Aviv University achieved a breakthrough by 3D printing a heart using the patient's own cells.

For the first time, the scientists used fully personalised non-supplemented materials as bio-inks for 3D printing, the research paper explains. The bio-inks do not provoke an immune response, thereby minimising complications after transplantation.

Scientists extracted fatty tissue from the patient and processed them to form diverse personalised bio-inks to 3D print the heart, complete with cells, blood vessels, ventricles, and chambers.