Scientists in Switzerland and the Netherlands have successfully shaped complex tissues in a stem cell-rich biocompatible hydrogel in a matter of seconds.

In a study featured in the journal Advanced Materials, researchers from the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Utrecht University developed a high-resolution printing method capable of producing artificial tissues.

Known as volumetric bioprinting, the technique could prove a boon for scientific research by providing customized, functional bioprinted tissues and organs.

Volumetric Bioprinting

To produce the artificial tissue, the scientists used a laser and projected it down a spinning tube containing stem cell-rich hydrogel. They used the light to shape the resulting tissue and have it solidify. This allowed them to create a complex three-dimensional shape that was suspended in the hydrogel.

Despite the use of a laser, the researchers said it did not affect the stem cells found in the gel. They then vascularized the material by introducing endothelial cells into the tissue.

The breakthrough study allowed the researchers to produce tissue constructs several centimeters thick, which could prove very useful for scientists conducting clinical research. The team created a number of different artificial tissues such as a meniscus, a heart valve-like material, and a complex-shaped part of a human femur. The process also allowed them to develop interlocking structures.

Damien Loterie, a researcher at EPFL's Laboratory of Applied Photonics Devices (LAPD) and coauthor of the study, compared their volumetric bioprinting to other similar procedures. He said their process is faster and offers greater freedom for researchers to design the artificial tissue without damaging the viability of the cells.

Building A Replicate Of The Human Body

The researchers also discussed the potential of their new procedure to create other tissues or organs in the human body.

"The characteristics of human tissue depend to a large extent on a highly sophisticated extracellular structure, and the ability to replicate this complexity could lead to a number of real clinical applications," study coauthor Paul Delrot said.

The team believes volumetric bioprinting could help other researchers produce artificial tissues or organs on a larger scale and at a much faster rate. Not only would such a procedure be useful for testing new drugs in vitro, but it would also help eliminate the need for animal testing. There is also the potential of lowering testing costs by using the newly developed process.

Christophe Moser, head of the LAPD, said volumetric bioprinting can lead to mass fabrication of artificial tissues and organs. Their procedure could be used to build various cellular tissue models, medical devices, and personalized implants.

The scientists are now planning to start a spin-off organization to help market their breakthrough procedure.