IT Home reported on February 10 that as we all know, the supply of organs for organ transplantation has always been a problem all over the world. Scientists are also trying to use artificial organs to help more people, but a big challenge is to build a network of blood vessels in artificial organs that work like natural organs, from tiny capillaries to larger arteries.
New research suggests that it is possible to use 3D ice printing to create endovascular structures in vivo. According to PhysFeimo Yang, a graduate student in Carnegie Mellon University's Philip Leduc and Burak Ozdoganlar labs, presented his findings at the 68th annual meeting of the Biophysical Society this month, Org reported.
3D ice printing is typically done by exposing a stream of water to a very cold surface to build a structure. "What sets our approach apart from other types of 3D printing is that instead of letting the water freeze completely, we leave it liquid on top," says Feimo Yang. This continuous process, which is what we call freeform, can help us achieve a 'very smooth structure' instead of the layered effect of most 3D printed products. ”
IT House noted from the report that the researchers also used heavy water, which is a type of water where hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium, which gives the water a higher freezing point and helps to form a smooth structure.
The researchers then embedded these 3D-printed ice molds into gelma, a gelatin material. When exposed to ultraviolet light, gelatin hardens and ice melts, leaving behind realistic vascular channels.
3D-printed ice mold of blood vessels (left), imaging of blood vessels-like structures forming on the mold a week later (right) In addition, the researchers successfully demonstrated that they can introduce endothelial cells, such as cells in blood vessels, into artificial blood vessels. The cells survived on gelatin for up to two weeks.
Feimo Yang noted that in addition to potential organ transplant uses, 3D printed blood vessels can also be used to test the effects of drugs on blood vessels, and can also be coated with the patient's own cells to see how the cells respond to the drug before they are printed.