Could My HP Printer Print Out Human Skin One Day?

The answer to my question about my home HP printer printing human skin one day is no. But using a process that could change the face of modern medicine, scientists have developed a printer capable of printing batches of human skin. This revolutionary new printer functions in a manner similar to that of an HP inkjet printer and could be ready to hit the market within 5 years.
While it’s still too early to tell exactly where this may lead, experts not associated with the project have indicated that it looks promising. This breakthrough could eventually lead to printers that are capable of printing skin that could be used in hospitals and doctor’s offices.

The printing process consists of doctors taking cell samples from a patient’s body, and then adding them to a solution that is rich in nutrients. This solution is placed in the printer, which is then programmed with the size of the wound that needs to be covered. A plastic tissue molding would then be seeded with the cells. This tissue molding would be the exact shape and size needed, and it would be applied directly to the wound. The molding would be used to anchor the skin in the correct place, holding the graft against the wound until it takes hold. As the wound heals, the graft dissolves away in a manner similar to that of some stitches used today.

Brian Derby, the project leader of the Ink-Jet Printing of Human Cells Project, indicated to LiveScience that the goal is to reincorporate the patient’s own cells into the body. He stated that using one’s own cells will go a long way towards reducing scarring and will eliminate the need for patients to take anti-rejection drugs.

The current project is using cells harvested from patients undergoing hip transplants, but the ideal cells to use would be stem cells. Stem cells could be harvested from the patient’s bone marrow, then transformed into skin cells using a process called differentiation. This process can transform skin cells into any type of cell desired, and allows for more control over the entire process.

Derby stated, “You can print as many cells as you have print heads. Our machine could print up to eight different ‘inks,’ where inks are cell suspensions, scaffold material or biochemicals.” He also indicated that the scaffolding to create an organ could eventually be created in as short a time as a day.

This means that this technology could eventually be used to create bones for grafts and quite possibly entire organs. These goals haven’t been met yet, but could eventually see the light of day. When and if they do, the need for organ donors may become a thing of the past, as organs that are a perfect match will be able to be created in a short period of time.

While research on this technology is currently underway in the U.S. and Japan, Derby’s team is the first to successfully “print” cells. The scaffolds currently being printed are tiny, but the size is expected to increase as they work the bugs out.

About Author:

Dorothy Reynolds is a freelance writer and blogger. She’s covered many of topics ranging from new technology to shopping discounts such as HP discount codes. As long as it interests her, Dorothy will write about it.

Source: MSNBC