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First 3D Printed Liver Expected In 2014
Lucas123 writes "After 3D printing has produced ears, skin grafts and even retina cells that could be built up and eventually used to replace defective eye tissue, researchers expect to be able to produce the first functioning organ next year. The organ, a liver, would not be for the purpose of human implant — that will take years to complete clinical trials and pass FDA review. Instead, the liver would initially be for development and testing of pharmaceuticals. The field of 3D printing known as organs on a chip, will greatly increase the accuracy and speed of drug development and testing, researchers say. The company producing the liver, Organovo, has overcome a major stumbling block that faces the creation of any organ: printing the vascular system needed to provide it with life-sustaining oxygen and nutrients. Typically, 3D printed tissue dies in the petri dish before it can even be used because of that. 'We have achieved thicknesses of greater than 500 microns, and have maintained liver tissue in a fully functional state with native phenotypic behavior for at least 40 days,' said Mike Renard, Organovo's executive vice president of commercial operations."
Now, how long we /.ers can print a wife?
I've got better things to do tonight than die.
3D printed livers?
Bottoms up, mates!
Kid-proof tablet..
This site has turned into the successor to the News of the World.
Fuck systemd. Fuck Redhat. Fuck Soylent, too. Wait, scratch the last one.
Just need to print the bacon and you'll have a fine meal in no time.
I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
When you can make me a glass of chianti and a side of fava beans with it, I'll be impressed.
when will they come up with 3D printed skin for burn victims? Take a few skin cells clone them, and create huge sheets of skin for new grafts.
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
Isn't the Liver one of the easiest organs to transplant and least difficult to acquire? You can get simply cut off a moderate part of a living donors liver and sew it into a recipient and both livers will grow back to normal size within weeks. It sounds like it will practically grow itself with the right mixture of nutrients. At least start off with something a little more difficult, like a thyroid gland or a segment of skin.
The plan is to grow from people's own cells so they don't have to be on anti-immune drugs for the rest of their lives. Also you can live without a thyroid gland, not without a liver, and skin is being done by other teams.
Allow me to remind that a few days ago we had ...
Wold First In-Man Total Artificial Heart Implantation
I'm not that much disapointed that my own submission didn't made the headlines on /. , but at least someone should have made it to the top with this information.
They can take skin samples, grow the skin in a suspension gel, then literally spray healthy skin cells onto your body. The healthy cells grow into place, leaving barely a scar where you originally had horrifying burns. It's been done; we literally have skin-repairing spray guns, even if the technology is too experimental for widespread consumer use yet.
Skin grafts. Heh.
And when is the 3D printed Onions coming?
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
.... bring people back from death? Re: The Fifth Element.
Ah padawan, you appreciate your karma more if you gamble with it from time to time.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
Nah man, they'll never catch on. Do you have any idea how expensive it is to make a clone? Humans though - they're practically free, you couldn't stop them from self-replicating if you tried. Sure they get a little uppity from time to time, start talking about ridiculous things like "rights" and "freedom", but threatening to take away their TV privileges will usually shut them right up. And if not... well they're cheap, toss 'em all into the protein resequencer and get a fresh batch.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
without 3D-printed onions.
Why would they need immunosuppressant drugs?
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.