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Researchers from the well-known Murdoch Children’s Research Institute have recently managed to use a new cutting-edge technology for them to bioprint some miniature human kidneys inside their laboratory. The researchers now believe their study will pave the way for future treatments for kidney failure and potentially even all of the transplanted organs grown in the laboratory.
3D bioprinting mini kidneys
The published study said the team used the recent 3D bioprinted kidneys to screen for drug toxicity from a class of different drugs all known to cause actual kidney damage in humans. The researchers were able to discover that during the study of the recent 3D bioprinting with the use of stem cells it is possible to produce a number of sheets of kidney tissue that will be largely sufficient for transplantation.
The entire extrusion-based 3D bioprinting technique uses the “bioink” produced from stem cell pulp that is squeezed using a computer-guided pipette to create certain artificial living tissues. The researchers then collaborated with a well-known San Diego organization called Organovo Inc to create the recently produced mini organs.
Up to 200 kidneys can be printed in 10 minutes
According to Slashgear’s story, the new printing methodology is much faster and also more reliable. It is also capable of allowing subsequent enlargement of the entire print process. This particular technique is estimated to be able to create an estimated 200 kidneys in just 10 minutes without compromising the quality of the entire organ.
The new bioprinted mini kidneys range in size from larger than a single grain of rice to the size of a full nail and completely resemble normal sized kidneys. They are also said to be compatible with smaller tubes and blood vessels that will form the entire organ’s filtering structures known as nephrons.
Read also: Alleged ‘mistake’ led to COVID-19 breakthrough, says University of AstraZeneca-Oxford Vice President
3D printed kidneys used for testing
Researchers now believe that smaller organs can actually be used in drug screening for scientists and doctors to be able to find new treatments for other kidney diseases or to see if new drugs are more likely to damage said kidneys. The researchers then pointed out that the aforementioned drug-induced kidney injuries will be a significant side effect and it can be quite difficult to get an accurate prediction in animal studies.
During the study, the scientists then investigated the full toxicity level of aminoglycosides, which is the class of antibiotics known to commonly damage the kidneys. Researchers stated earlier before the study that the whole possibility of using certain mini kidneys to create certain transplantable tissues was still too far from contemplation.
This scientific breakthrough has once again demonstrated the power of 3D printing, especially in the organic field. This is a long step up from the previous capabilities of 3D printing machines which were previously only capable of producing plastic and metal.
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Written by Urian Buenconsejo
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