A 3D printed heart with blood vessels was made from human tissue

The heart of a rabbit's size was made from a patient's own cells and tissues, using techniques that could help increase the rate of successful heart transplants in the future.

How it worked: A tissue biopsy was taken from patients and his material was separated. Some molecules, including collagen and glycoproteins, have been transformed into a hydrogel, which has become the "ink" of the print. Once the hydrogel was mixed with stem cells from the tissue, researchers at Tel Aviv University were able to create a patient-specific heart that included blood vessels. The idea is that such a heart would be less likely to be rejected during transplantation. The study was published in the journal Advanced Science.

Let flow: Until now, researchers were able to print only simple tissues devoid of blood vessels. An artificial heart that is fully vascularized in 3D is therefore a step in the right direction.

L & # 39; impact: In the United States, heart disease causes the death of one in four deaths (about 610,000 people a year) and there is a shortage of heart donors for transplants. Hearts printed in 3D could help solve a major problem.

Next steps: The Tel Aviv team is planning to grow the printed hearts and then transplant them to animals. We are however still in many years before being used for humans.

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