Pandorum, An Indian Firm Has Printed 3D Liver Tissue

An Indian firm has claimed it successfully printed liver tissue using a 3D printer. The 3D-printed liver tissue functions like a real human liver and perhaps, a day will come when organ transplants would no longer require donors.

According to Pandorum Technologies, the company behind the printed liver tissue, the tissues are made of human cells and it would allow medical research without relying on live animals as specimen.The company even hopes the printed liver would one day be used for transplants in humans.

According to a statement on
their website , Arun Chandru, co-founder of Pandorum:

“ Liver toxicity and drug metabolism are the key hurdles and contributors to failed human trials. Our 3D bio-printed mini-livers that mimic the human liver will serve as test platforms for discovery and development of drugs with better efficacy, less side-effects and at lower costs.

Chandru said the 3D-printed liver will make it a lot more easier developing drugs as this would cut down the cost and time involved since there will be an almost real liver to work with. He also said the liver can but put into other uses apart from clinical tests for new drugs.

The company co-founder, Tuhin Bhowmick, said:

‘ Development of artificial organs has numerous clinical uses. Cell based organoids can be used to develop bio-artificial liver support systems for preserving life in patients who have developed liver failure.

Pandorum isn’t the first to have 3D-printed human tissue but its the first Indian firm to do this… and at a low cost.

The 3D bio-printing market is a fast developing one and recently, a lot of advancements have been made. A 3D-printed thyroid gland has been successfully been used for transplant in a mouse. 3D ‘living’ blood vessels too is already inexistence and with this new technology, we are getting closer to the day when organ transplants would no longer require donors.



Posted by tboixy