Scientists at Tel Aviv University print the first 3D heart using the patient's biological materials

As part of a major medical advance, researchers at Tel Aviv University have "printed" the world's first 3D vascularized artificial heart with the help of cells and biological material from the world. 39, a patient. Their findings were published April 15 in a study Advanced Science.

Until now, scientists in regenerative medicine – an area at the crossroads of biology and technology – have managed to print simple tissues without blood vessels.

"This is the first time anyone has been able to design and print a whole heart filled with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers," says Professor Tal Dvir of the School of Cell Biology and Biotechnology. TAU, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and the Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology, which led the research for the study.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Heart transplantation is currently the only treatment available for patients with end-stage heart failure. Given the severe shortage of heart donors, it is urgent to develop new approaches to regenerate the sick heart.

"This heart is made from human cells and biological materials specific to the patient.In our process, these materials serve as biological links, substances based on sugars and proteins that can be used for the 3D printing of models. complex tissue, "says Professor Dvir. "People have managed to 3D print the structure of a heart in the past, but not with cells or with blood vessels.Our results demonstrate the potential of our approach to engineering the personalized replacement of tissues and organs in the future. "

The research for the study was conducted jointly by Professor Dvir, Dr. Assaf Shapira of the TAU Faculty of Life Sciences and Nadav Moor, a Ph.D. student from Professor Dvir's laboratory.

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

For research, an adipose tissue biopsy was performed in patients. The cellular and a-cellular materials of the tissue were then separated. While the cells were reprogrammed to become pluripotent stem cells, the extracellular matrix (ECM), a three-dimensional network of extracellular macromolecules such as collagen and glycoproteins, was transformed into a custom hydrogel serving as an "impression" ink. ".

After mixing with the hydrogel, the cells were efficiently differentiated into cardiac or endothelial cells to create patient-specific, patient-specific heart patches, with blood vessels, and subsequently, an entire heart.

According to Professor Dvir, the use of "native" patient-specific materials is crucial for successful tissue and organ engineering.

"The biocompatibility of engineering materials is crucial to eliminate the risk of implant rejection, which compromises the success of such treatments," says Professor Dvir. "Ideally, the biomaterial should have the same biochemical, mechanical, and topographic properties of the patient's own tissue, here we can report a simple approach to thick, vascularized, and perfusable 3D-printed heart tissue that perfectly matches immunologic, cellular, and biochemical functions. and cellular anatomical properties of the patient. "

Researchers are now planning to cultivate printed hearts in the lab and "teach them to behave like hearts," says Professor Dvir. They then plan to transplant the heart printed in 3D in animal models.

"We need to further develop the printed heart," he concludes. "The cells have to be pumping capacity, they can actually contract, but we need them to work together, and we hope to be able to succeed and prove the efficiency and the usefulness of our method.

"Maybe in ten years, there will be organ printers in the best hospitals in the world and these procedures will be done routinely."

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