3D bioprinter that makes human-like tissue ‘could speed up drug development'
Scientists have developed a coffee machine-sized 3D bioprinter that produces human-like tissue in a move they hope could potentially speed up the development of new treatments for the likes of heart disease and arthritis.
The technology, known as Reactive Jet Impingement (ReJI), uses two different liquids, a polymer solution and one that contains cells suspended in a solution.
These are jetted at one another and mixed mid-air to create a cell-filled hydrogel that can be printed on any surface.
The method increases cell density by about 10 times that of other bioprinting technologies, producing tissues that are much closer models to humans.
Kenny Dalgarno, a professor of manufacturing and engineering at Newcastle University, led the project.
He said: 'Drug discovery is a complicated and extremely costly process involving multiple rounds of testing before they reach clinical trials.
'In clinical investigations, only one in 10 of compounds tested proceeds to reach market.
'These rates of failure make it clear that we must improve our models so that they are more representative of drug response in humans.'
One stage of drug development is testing on lab-grown cell cultures, which are usually grown on a flat surface, like a microscope slide.
However, printing cells in 3D can potentially make tests more accurate.
Prof Dalgarno added: 'There is currently a lot of interest in developing better human in vitro models of diseases and tissues so we have better ways of testing drugs.'
Researchers have set up a spin-out company, Jetbio, to attract investment and potentially roll out the ReJI printer worldwide.
The Jetbio team showcased the technology to ministers and health leaders, including Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, at the Houses of Parliament last month.
The printers have also been exhibited at the universities of Bristol, Newcastle and Cambridge at a series of workshops and will now be used in their labs.
Lucy Donaldson, director of research at Versus Arthritis, which funded the project, added: 'The JetBio team are in the vanguard of research driving forward new technologies that promise to improve both the quality and speed of drug development.
'These advances can potentially bring new drugs to the population sooner – and that applies to treatments for arthritis, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
'This is a very exciting leap forward.'
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