University of Pennsylvania (US) researchers use sugar and a 3-D printer to replicate a vascular template.
Bioengineers pursuing me the ability to create living tissue for purposes of generating replacement organs have been constrained by the obstacle of the ability to keep engineered tissue alive. Because cells need a constant supply of nutrients and oxygen, a blood vessel system to deliver those nutrients and remove waste is critical. Jordan S. Miller, from the University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania, USA), and colleagues have employed sugar add a 3-D printer to build vasculature. The team printed the vasculature first, and used sucrose and glucose to create a free-standing, three-dimensional vascular template. They are hopeful to further develop technology to successfully generate replacement tissue for regenerative medical purposes.
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Jordan S. Miller, Kelly R. Stevens, Michael T. Yang, Brendon M. Baker, Christopher S. Chen, et al. “Rapid casting of patterned vascular networks for perfusable engineered three-dimensional tissues.” Nature Materials, 1 July 2012.