Organ printing

Organ printing uses three-dimensional printing techniques to arrange living cells and biomaterials into tissue or organ-like structures. It aims to create constructs for research, disease modeling, and transplantation.

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Bioprinting: Bioprinting uses additive manufacturing to place living cells and biological materials in defined patterns. Organ printing is a tissue- and organ-focused branch of this broader fabrication approach.
Stem cell: A stem cell can self-renew and produce one or more specialized cell types. Stem cells can supply adaptable cell populations for constructing tissues.
Organoid: An organoid is a self-organizing, three-dimensional cell culture that models selected features of an organ. Organoids model organ function without requiring a printer to place every cell.
Organ transplantation: Organ transplantation is the transfer of an organ from a donor to a recipient to replace a failed organ. It is the established treatment that organ printing could supplement if functional constructs become feasible.
Organ-on-chip standardization: Organ-on-chip standardization develops shared protocols and benchmarks for comparing microphysiological systems. Comparable testing methods are needed to validate printed tissues as research models.
Bioink: A bioink is a printable formulation containing cells, biomaterials, or biologically active components. Its composition determines whether printed cells survive and whether the construct holds its shape.
Extracellular matrix: The extracellular matrix is the network of molecules surrounding cells that provides structural and biochemical support. Printed scaffolds often imitate this environment to guide cell survival and organization.
Organ-on-a-chip: An organ-on-a-chip is a microfluidic device containing living cells that models selected organ functions. It offers controlled organ-like research models without aiming to print transplantable organs.
Decellularization: Decellularization removes cells from tissue while retaining much of its extracellular structure. It preserves natural tissue architecture, unlike printing that builds structures through material deposition.
Immune rejection: Immune rejection is an immune response that damages transplanted cells, tissues, or organs. Printed constructs may still provoke rejection through their cells or biomaterials.