Three-dimensional printing of biological tissues

Article By:

Ozbolat, Ibrahim Tarik Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

Last reviewed:2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB150679

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting can be defined as the spatial patterning of living cells and other biologics, such as genes and growth factors. This technique is accomplished by stacking and assembling the cells and biologics, using a computer-aided layer-by-layer deposition approach, to develop living tissues and organs for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, pharmacokinetics, and other biological studies. It is an emerging technology that is having a revolutionary effect on the medical sciences, particularly in regenerating tissues and organs. It has recently gained enormous attention from various academic disciplines, as well as from the general public, for its unique benefits, which include precise placement of biologics to recapitulate tissue biology, rapid fabrication of scalable tissue constructs, precise fabrication of anatomically accurate tissue replacement parts, and generation of samples for pharmaceutical applications such as drug toxicity, drug discovery, and clinical diagnostics.

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