Marcus Aurelius
07-02-2013, 12:31 PM
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/07/01/how-3d-printing-can-build-new-bone/
Damaged bones could be fixed with a new technique that involves 3D printing a tissue using living stem cells.
For example, if a child had a jawbone defect, you could take an image of the defect, feed it into a computer and print a replacement to precisely fill the defect using the patient's own cells, said Kevin Shakeshaff, a pharmacist at the University of Nottingham in England.
"The tissues of our body are structured at the level of single cells," Shakeshaff said. "Using 3D printing (http://www.livescience.com/topics/3d-printing/)http://global.fncstatic.com/static/v/all/img/external-link.png, we can position cells in precise places."
To create the bone replacement, the 3D bioprinter (http://www.livescience.com/26865-3d-printed-embryonic-stem-cells.html)http://global.fncstatic.com/static/v/all/img/external-link.png creates a scaffold in the shape of the bone, and coats it with adult human stem cells (http://www.livescience.com/32369-what-is-a-stem-cell.html)http://global.fncstatic.com/static/v/all/img/external-link.png, which are capable of developing into many different tissue types.
The printer's "ink" consists of a polymer called polylactic acid and a gel-like substance called alginate. The polylactic acid provides the hard, mechanical strength of bone, while the alginate acts as a cushioning material for the cells.
The printed product can be implanted in the body, where the scaffold will degrade and be replaced by new bone within about three months.
fascinating. I wonder if this is less costly than current treatment methods?
Damaged bones could be fixed with a new technique that involves 3D printing a tissue using living stem cells.
For example, if a child had a jawbone defect, you could take an image of the defect, feed it into a computer and print a replacement to precisely fill the defect using the patient's own cells, said Kevin Shakeshaff, a pharmacist at the University of Nottingham in England.
"The tissues of our body are structured at the level of single cells," Shakeshaff said. "Using 3D printing (http://www.livescience.com/topics/3d-printing/)http://global.fncstatic.com/static/v/all/img/external-link.png, we can position cells in precise places."
To create the bone replacement, the 3D bioprinter (http://www.livescience.com/26865-3d-printed-embryonic-stem-cells.html)http://global.fncstatic.com/static/v/all/img/external-link.png creates a scaffold in the shape of the bone, and coats it with adult human stem cells (http://www.livescience.com/32369-what-is-a-stem-cell.html)http://global.fncstatic.com/static/v/all/img/external-link.png, which are capable of developing into many different tissue types.
The printer's "ink" consists of a polymer called polylactic acid and a gel-like substance called alginate. The polylactic acid provides the hard, mechanical strength of bone, while the alginate acts as a cushioning material for the cells.
The printed product can be implanted in the body, where the scaffold will degrade and be replaced by new bone within about three months.
fascinating. I wonder if this is less costly than current treatment methods?