What is the Integrated Tissue and Organ Printing System?

Integrated Tissue and Organ Printing System is a fancy name for the 3D printed tissue which is being used in regenerative medicine to replace diseased or lost organs. The Institute for Regenerative Medicine developed this process over a period of more than a decade. The process involves using both biodegradable and plastic materials to create the artificial tissue which has water based gels which contain the cells.

A strong, temporary, outer structure is also printed and this does not harm the cells. This tissue is then implanted into the patient and allowed to integrate itself into the body and eventually becomes living tissue. The trick is to keep it alive long enough for a successful integration to take place. The micro channels printed along the water based cells are used to keep nutrients and oxygen flowing from the body to the new tissues.

Anthony Atala, M.D., director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine said that thier results indicate that the bio-ink combination they used, combined with the micro-channels, provides the right environment to keep the cells alive and to support cell and tissue growth. He added that with further development of this science project, this technology could potentially be used to print living tissue and organ structures for surgical implantation.