Healthy new tissue can be ’printed’ using innovative technique

New muscle has successfully been created in mice using a minimally invasive technique dubbed 'intravital 3D bioprinting' by a team involving UCL scientists. This new research could pave the way for minimally invasive surgical techniques for organ repair and reconstruction that could remove the need for transplantation in children with complex conditions. For pioneering international study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering , researchers from the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health developed a photosensitive bio-gel that uses light treatment to 'print' healthy new tissue directly into specific tissues and organs, and sustain blood supply that would allow it to thrive. The light-sensitive bio-gel acted as a type of bio-ink, effectively 'printing' 3D structures that supported the creation of muscle fibres in the muscle of live mice and without the need for open surgery. Researchers loaded a liquid gel with cells carefully selected to suit the type of tissue being printed. The bio-gel was then injected into the area of interest in the body with a simple syringe. Once in place, the team directed a near infrared light at the area from outside the body.