Researchers Unveil Technique to Print Bones in Patients’ Bodies
rael-science
Researchers Unveil Technique to Print Bones in Patients’ Bodies
Recently, Australian researchers
detailed their new medical 3D printing technique. The goal? Print bones
directly into the body of patients using ceramic ink combined with
living cells.
Print bones directly in the body
In the medical field, 3D printing is
nothing new. One example is the very first double hand and face
transplant in the world, largely made possible by 3D printing. In their
review published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials,
researchers at the University of New South Wales (Australia) unveiled a
new ceramic ink for printing bones. The main characteristic of this ink
is to incorporate living cells in the structure of bones. However, these cells can multiply for several weeks after printing, with a viability of 95%.
Until today, 3D printing of bone tissue incorporated synthetic components or foreign bodies to be introduced into the body. With their
innovation, Australian scientists can directly imprint bone in their
patient’s body while avoiding the use of potentially harsh chemicals.
“It
could be used in clinical applications where there is a high demand for
in situ repair of bone defects such as those caused by trauma, cancer
or when a large piece of tissue is resected ”, can we read in a press release.
Undeniable advantages
The video at the end of the
article explains how this new ceramic ink works. According to the
project manager Kris Kilian, this innovation will make it possible to save time during operations surgical procedures while reducing patient pain. He also explains that
this new technique will save a lot of lives. Remember that doctors
usually have recourse to autologous bone graft to
repair damaged bones. However, this method involving the removal of bone
from another part of the body is particularly invasive. It can also
pose a significant risk of infection.
The ceramic ink in question is a phosphate de calcium biocompatible in the form of a paste at room temperature. On contact with a gelatin
bath, the ink becomes a porous nanocrystalline matrix similar to usual
bone tissue. This innovation could well revolutionize medical 3D printing and allow the latter to occupy an even more important place in this field.
|
