In 10 years, Prof. Tal Dvir of Tel Aviv University sees all organs being printed from the patient's own tissue so that the body does not reject it, and rendering organ donors unnecessary.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have printed the world's first 3D heart from human tissue. The Israeli research team was led by Prof. Tal Dvir of Tel Aviv University's School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology. “This is the first time anyone anywhere has successfully engineered and printed an entire heart replete with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers. People have managed to 3D-print the structure of a heart in the past, but not with cells or with blood vessels." He added, "The method we have developed will allow us in the future to print a heart of any size required from the human tissue of patients themselves, meaning that the body will not reject it." Prof. Dvir said that using this method any human organ can be printed using the patient's tissue and he estimates that in 10 years such procedures will begin routine and organ donations will no longer be necessary.
His next task is to provide the 3D heart with pumping capabilities and then begin developing hearts for transplanting into laboratory rats and rabbits.
Prof. Dvir worked with Prof. Assaf Shapira of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Life Sciences, and doctoral student Nadav Moor on this project and the results have been published in "Advanced Science."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 15, 2019
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Heart, photo: Shutterstock/ASAP Creative