A breakthrough in vascular 3D printing has led bio-printing firm Organovo to predict printed livers will be available within the next year.
While the announcement has sparked even more interest in the burgeoning field of 3D bio-printing, Organovo has stated that its printed liver won’t be suitable for human transplant. Instead, the liver will be used as proof that the San Diego-based company has the chops to build a printer that can reliably produce human liver tissue. If Organovo can meet its mark, the firm will begin selling 3D bio-printers to companies engaged in drug development – an expensive and research-intensive field.
