Research
What research is being done on Biofabrication?
Biofabrication is still a very new field of science that has just been further researched on in the 2000s. Currently, research is still going on at Organovo and many universities, such as the Wake Forest School of Medicine. However, the main challenge that all researchers around the world have with Biofabrication is figuring out what the key is to biofabricate live, functioning organs. They all have the central question of:
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How can researchers cleverly place the cells so that they may grow as naturally as the way bones would without using scaffolds?
This central question is the cause of many scientist's dismay as they cannot overcome this matter. Therefore, funded researches at companies like Organovo, and Universities, like Wake forest are still going on as they are all racing to find the answer.
3D printer at Wake Forest School of Medicine
A scaffold is being removed from the hydrogels that were injected
What can Biofabricated tissues be used for? Research!
Biofabricated tissues have many uses such as for the purpose of research. With the tissues that are printed, medicine and new drugs could be tested on these tissues rather than on animals, like lab rats. Human tissues are complex and with biofabrication, the printed tissues will be able to demonstrate the affects of diseases and treatment to the fullest capacity.
The highlight of this is that when drugs are tested on these tissues they will be more accurate than if they were tested on lab rats/animals because of the difference in anatomical structure. Due to this, medicine will be manufactured to be more effective and with less casualties or issues.
This scientific break through has enabled scientists to experiment more with products that will be highly beneficial to the general population. The video by Organovo Inc. discusses how their bioprinting technology works and the uses/functions of these fabricated tissues.