Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute have developed a solution that allows them to 3D-print blood vessels on living tissues, and it’s called the SWIFT (Sacrificial Writing Into Functional Tissue) method, which will eventually lead to the creation of larger, more effective organs. In their test, they successfully printed cardiac tissue that could beat synchronously over a seven-day period using stem cells. Read more for a video and additional information.
The stem cells were compacted into a mold and then rapidly patterned sacrificial ink within the matrix using embedded 3D printing. This ink was later removed to reveal channels that can function as blood vessels. The open lumens in the blood vessel were then lined with endothelial cells to more closely copy the real thing.
