Have you ever thought about all the things that you can make with a 3D Printer? In 2017, Spanish researchers at Charles III University in Madrid (UC3M) demonstrated that they could make human skin using bio-ink with patient cells. Think of your favorite "Band-Aid", except this one is printed with bio-ink.
I was curious, so I dug a little deeper. I found in 2019, a team of researchers from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York and Yale University in Connecticut were able to print living skin, complete with blood vessels. I had no idea!
Without the blood vessels, the "Band-Aid" eventually would just fall off. The blood vessels added to the skin was the game changer because it allowed the 3D printed skin to actually integrate with living skin. Professor Pankaj Karande at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute explains the process in this video. The initial research was performed on mice, so the next step will need to potentially introduce CRISPR technology (definitely a future BLOG article) to reduce rejection by the human body. Some day soon, this will help burn victims, diabetic and bed sore patients or others who face the threat of having dangerously painful exposed wounds receive fast necessary treatment all from a 3D printer. WOW!
Don't look now, but your epidermis is showing!
Comments