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3D bioprinting of tissues and organs

Nature Biotechnology volume 32, pages 773–785 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Additive manufacturing, otherwise known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, is driving major innovations in many areas, such as engineering, manufacturing, art, education and medicine. Recent advances have enabled 3D printing of biocompatible materials, cells and supporting components into complex 3D functional living tissues. 3D bioprinting is being applied to regenerative medicine to address the need for tissues and organs suitable for transplantation. Compared with non-biological printing, 3D bioprinting involves additional complexities, such as the choice of materials, cell types, growth and differentiation factors, and technical challenges related to the sensitivities of living cells and the construction of tissues. Addressing these complexities requires the integration of technologies from the fields of engineering, biomaterials science, cell biology, physics and medicine. 3D bioprinting has already been used for the generation and transplantation of several tissues, including multilayered skin, bone, vascular grafts, tracheal splints, heart tissue and cartilaginous structures. Other applications include developing high-throughput 3D-bioprinted tissue models for research, drug discovery and toxicology.

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Figure 1: A typical process for bioprinting 3D tissues.
Figure 2: Components of inkjet, microextrusion and laser-assisted bioprinters.

Katie Vicari/Nature Publishing Group

Figure 3: Examples of human-scale bioprinted tissues.
Figure 4: Timeframe for the development of various types of 3D bioprinted tissues.

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  1. Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

    Sean V Murphy & Anthony Atala

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Murphy, S., Atala, A. 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs. Nat Biotechnol 32, 773–785 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.2958

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