The tissue created in the lab replicates the workings of the nephron, the part of the kidney that filters blood and decides which fluids the body should absorb
Biomedical research takes a giant step forward. For the first time in the world, a Harvard research team has created a kidney using a 3D printer.
The lab-made tissue can replicate some of the functions of the human organ and could soon be used as an external kidney to help people with kidney failure or for drug testing. To make the artificial organ, scientists used a special mix of gel inks. The printed kidney is then injected with cells that turn it into human tissue. For the first time, after 20 years of study, scientists were able to create an artificial organ that can imitate the functioning of the kidney.
A 3D nephron
The discovery is very important considering that at least 1 in 10 people to survive must undergo dialysis, a laborious process where the blood is first removed and filtered before being put back into the body. Scientists in particular have been able to use a 3D printer to create a tissue that replicates at least part of the nephron. In fact, the nephron is the part of the kidney that performs almost most of the functions. It filters the blood and decides which fluids the body needs to absorb and which to excrete.
At the moment, we’re in the embryonic stage of the project. Developing an organ that can perfectly replicate a human kidney will take many years.