Today's Practice: Changing the Business of Medicine TP2018Q2DigitalEditionWeb | Page 91

Engineering
the Future of Medicine
New Applications of 3D Tissue Bioprinting
By Madeline Winter
As a species, we are master engineers who have created
machines that have completely changed our way of life.
We build skyscrapers that peak through the clouds,
computers that fit in our pockets and electric cars that
go from zero to sixty at a ludicrous speed. And yet, the
most precise and well-articulated systems remain those
built by nature. The human body is an example of a
perfect organic machine that does, from time to time,
require replacement parts.
The quest for artificial tissues and organs remains a slow
and uphill battle that can be boiled down to the fact
that tissues and organs are incredibly complex. Possess-
ing many different compartments that communicate
with each other, intricate microarchitecture, and multi-
ple cell types with the need of a continuous nutrient
supply. Though master mechanics we may be, we’ve yet
to discover the methods to engineer our own bodies.
3D bioprinting has arose as a possible solution to this
problem by making it easy to design and engineer life.
3D bioprinters and bioinks are used by researchers
worldwide to ensure that we humans master the field
of biological engineering to eradicate diseases and
replace broken parts.
“We imagine a future of truly person-
alized medicine where we can elimi-
nate the organ waiting list, create
custom grafts and cure disease.”
This technology is laying the groundwork to aide
in our search for the holy grail of the artificial,
personalized organ.
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