Bioprinting Functional Human Heart Tissue: A Major Breakthrough

Researchers at University of Galway have developed a way of bioprinting tissues that change shape as a result of cell-generated forces, in the same way that it happens in biological tissues during organ development.

The breakthrough science focused on replicating heart tissues, bringing research closer to generating functional, bioprinted organs, which would have broad applications in disease modelling, drug screening and regenerative medicine.

The research was led by a team at the School of Engineering and CÚRAM Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices at University of Galway and has been published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Bioprinting technology uses living cells within specialised “bioink” materials – a substance or material which can support living cells, and due to its characteristics, it can aid cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation during maturation. The technology offers immense promise for creating lab-grown organs that closely resemble the structure of their human equivalent.

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