RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3D Bioprinting Tissue Engineering Era in Medicine Technology
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a revolutionary tissue engineering method
in which objects are made by fusing or depositing materials such as non-organic materials
or even living cells in layers to produce a 3D object. The ability to design and fabricate
complex, 3D biomedical devices is critical in tissue engineering. Applications for 3D
biomedical devices are restoration of 3D anatomic defects, the reconstruction of complex
organs with intricate 3D microarchitecture (e.g. liver, lymphoid organs), and scaffolds for
stem cell differentiation (Badylak et al., 2011). An example of a need is anatomic defects
in the bone and soft tissue organs complex caused by cancer, trauma, and congenital
defects. Proper restoration of these defects requires functional nerves, vessels, muscles,
ligaments, cartilage, bone, lymph nodes and glands (Almond et al., 2012).
In recent years, various approaches based on tissue engineering principles have
been explored to regenerate other functional tissues that are relevant to organ tissue
regeneration. In tissue engineering, scaffolds are critical to provide structure for cell
infiltration and proliferation, space for extracellular matrix generation and remodeling,
biochemical cues to direct cell behavior, and physical connections for injured tissue.
When making scaffolds, design of the architecture on the macro, micro, and nano level is
important for structural, nutrient transport, and cell-matrix interaction conditions. Solid
free form fabrication (SFF) has allowed for the design and fabrication of complex 3D
structures which can be patient specific. The integration of computer aided design,
advanced imaging techniques (i.e. magnetic resonance imaging and computer
tomography), and rapid prototyping has advanced fabrication of objects with both macro
and microarchitecture control (Crapo et al., 2011).
Medical applications for 3D printing are expanding rapidly and are expected to
revolutionize healthcare. Medical uses for 3D printing, both actual and potential, can be
organized into several broad categories, including tissue and organ fabrication, creation of
customized prosthetics and anatomical models, pharmaceutical research regarding drug
dosage forms, and organ transplantation. The application of 3D printing in medicine can
provide many benefits including the customization and personalization of medical drugs
and equipment, time and cost-effectiveness and increased productivity for mass
production. The potential of 3D printing in medicine is limitless and yet still unexplorable
(Almond et al., 2012).
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