Genetic Switches Boost Blood Vessels in 3D-Printed Bone
Researchers at Penn State have developed 3D-printed cell spheroids that can be used to regenerate bone tissue. By genetically modifying stem cells, the team created clusters that promote blood vessel formation, offering potential breakthroughs for treating severe trauma.
Why it matters
This advancement in regenerative medicine could significantly improve recovery outcomes for patients with severe bone injuries and provide better models for drug testing.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - An interdisciplinary team of engineers and chemists at Penn State has laid the groundwork to 3D print spheroids - tiny clusters of living cells - capable of regenerating bone tissue in response to severe trauma or infections.
By introducing different strands of genetic information into undifferentiated, commercially sourced stem cells, the team has demonstrated that bioprinting, which layers the fundamental building blocks of an organ tissue, can create cell clusters optimized to support bone tissue regeneration. The bioprinted spheroids are not just better at helping bone tissue heal, the researchers reported, but they also facilitate the successful formation of new blood vessels within generated tissue. The team verified their findings, available online now in Chemical Engineering Journal , through experiments in the lab and in mouse models.
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