A new technique allows for 3D printing of biological tissues so that they can be stored in the cold without being damaged. Developed at Harvard Medical School with the participation of Canadian McGill University, the technique is described in the journal Advanced Materials.
3D bio-printing has emerged for some years as a concrete and useful possibility of producing biological tissues, from human skin to bone prostheses and is made possible by using a paste of organic molecules and stem cells as ink. However, the problem remained of being able to preserve 3D printed fabrics for long periods.
A step forward now comes with the integration of 3D printing procedures with cryopreservation techniques. "Cryo-printing can give bioprinted tissues an extended shelf life. We have achieved up to three months shelf life so far, but the shelf life could be extended further," said study coordinator Shrike Zhang.
The 3D printing of biological tissues is carried out on an ultra cold plate and in a very low temperature environment and the sample obtained is immediately moved to containers cooled with liquid nitrogen.
The first tests made it possible to produce different types of tissues, such as muscle fibers printed starting inside myoblasts (cells that give rise to muscle cells) and fibroblasts (from which connective tissue originates), up to nerve tissues.
According to Shrike Zhang, "This new technique, which we call vertical 3D cryobioprinting, could have wide application in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug discovery and personalized therapies."