Heart printed in 3D with the help of cells of a human patient

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"This is the first time anyone has managed to design and print a whole heart filled with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers," said Professor Tal Dvir of the School of Cell Biology and Biotechnology in a statement. from Tel Aviv University. Dvir is the lead author of the research, published Monday in the journal Advanced Science.

The process of printing the heart involved a biopsy of the fat tissue that surrounds the abdominal organs. The researchers separated the cells of the tissue from the rest of the contents, the extracellular matrix connecting the cells. The cells were reprogrammed to become stem cells capable of differentiating into cardiac cells; the matrix was transformed into a custom hydrogel that served as an "ink" print.

The cells and the hydrogel were first used to create heart patches with blood vessels and, from there, an entire heart.

"At this point, our 3D heart is small, about the size of a rabbit heart," Dvir said. "But big human hearts need the same technology."

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Previously, scientists could print only simple tissue without blood vessels.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in developing countries. Heart transplantation is the only way to treat end-stage heart failure, highlighting the importance of developing techniques such as 3D printing, according to the authors.

Dvir also explained that the use of the patient's own cells is essential for tissue and organ engineering.

"The biocompatibility of engineering materials is crucial to eliminate the risk of rejection of an implant, which compromises the success of such treatments," he said.

Next, the researchers plan to train hearts to behave like hearts, Dvir explained. "The cells must be pumping capacity, they can actually contract, but we need them to work together."

If researchers succeed, they plan to transplant the 3D printed heart into animal models and then into humans.

"Perhaps, in ten years, there will be organ printers in the best hospitals in the world, and these procedures will be conducted routinely," said Dvir.

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