about bio-3d-printing

[joachim]

But do we really need to do that? Why couldn't fat grafting be an option?

we don't need to do it. but if turns out that this could be easily done (just multiplying cells like with the other cell types), it would be the better way because the fat cells are directly surrounding the follicles then. no shooting in the dark by just injecting fat cells randomly.

i don't know. maybe it turns out that fat cells aren't suited anyway. was just an idea, to mimic an even more perfect follicle. i can also imagine that it could have an advantage when the follicle gets implanted into the scalp.

[artika]

Any news from Organovo?

[joachim]

received an answer... but not very satisfying.

They are actually focusing on different tissue models and partnering with some other labs and researchers for this purpose. Hair follicle models are not yet planned, and prioritiy is on the other tissue models for now. However, the situation may look different in 1 to 2 years, if they get a request from a researcher team to try out some stuff.

However, that doesn't bother me.
Altough Organovo is on a good way and I don't want downplay their work I have the impression they are still a young startup and only in the beginning of the whole bio-printing era.

There are probably a lot other labs and researchers working on similar bio-3D printing experiments and it will be more and more with every year. Personally I even think what they are doing is nothing special at all.
The key here is to have a prezise nozzle and chambers (cartridges) with the cells in it, and also the Hydrogel support material which seems to be a pretty common substance used by a lot of bio scientists. It's basically some water/sugar based gel.

What I'm trying next is to contact some of the big players in 3D printers which are in the game for 10 years and longer. As I'm also working a lot with professional 3D printers I have some contacts here.

3D printing technology is relatively easy and well evolved today, and precision is no problem at all with actual electronics/mechanics.

the only key here is to prepare the so-called bio-ink which is nothing more than the cells in some kind of liquid (probably the same liquid researchers are using in the petri dish to culture cells).

I'm going to talk to some of those companies if there is any interest to build a simple functional prototype for that purpose (basically just modifying an exisiting printer to enable the injection of those bio-fluids).

I think there is a good chance that one of those companies shows some interest and I even think some of them are working on something behind the scenes already, which I will find out then hopefully.
For example the company "3D Systems", which is beside "Stratasys" the biggest player on the market, they always seem to be open to new business fields. They have 3D printers for plastics, metal, ceramics (really cool!), and even bought a startup recently to get their chocolate/candy printing technology. Thus, a medical business field seems not so far-fetched and would be a logical step for those tech-giants.

Will keep you updated.

[nameless]

received an answer... but not very satisfying.

They are actually focusing on different tissue models and partnering with some other labs and researchers for this purpose. Hair follicle models are not yet planned, and prioritiy is on the other tissue models for now. However, the situation may look different in 1 to 2 years, if they get a request from a researcher team to try out some stuff.

However, that doesn't bother me.
Altough Organovo is on a good way and I don't want downplay their work I have the impression they are still a young startup and only in the beginning of the whole bio-printing era.

There are probably a lot other labs and researchers working on similar bio-3D printing experiments and it will be more and more with every year. Personally I even think what they are doing is nothing special at all.
The key here is to have a prezise nozzle and chambers (cartridges) with the cells in it, and also the Hydrogel support material which seems to be a pretty common substance used by a lot of bio scientists. It's basically some water/sugar based gel.

What I'm trying next is to contact some of the big players in 3D printers which are in the game for 10 years and longer. As I'm also working a lot with professional 3D printers I have some contacts here.

3D printing technology is relatively easy and well evolved today, and precision is no problem at all with actual electronics/mechanics.

the only key here is to prepare the so-called bio-ink which is nothing more than the cells in some kind of liquid (probably the same liquid researchers are using in the petri dish to culture cells).

I'm going to talk to some of those companies if there is any interest to build a simple functional prototype for that purpose (basically just modifying an exisiting printer to enable the injection of those bio-fluids).

I think there is a good chance that one of those companies shows some interest and I even think some of them are working on something behind the scenes already, which I will find out then hopefully.
For example the company "3D Systems", which is beside "Stratasys" the biggest player on the market, they always seem to be open to new business fields. They have 3D printers for plastics, metal, ceramics (really cool!), and even bought a startup recently to get their chocolate/candy printing technology. Thus, a medical business field seems not so far-fetched and would be a logical step for those tech-giants.

Will keep you updated.

Keep in mind that if they say they're too busy we could then look at the possibility of paying them to do it.

And I do think that fat cells are important to make correct follicles.

[joachim]

another great step towards bio-printed organs:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...cienceDaily%29

i'm almost sure fully functional printed organs like liver, kidney and lung will be a reality within 10 to 20 years. i hope that applies to hair follicles as well.

however, i'm still trying to get the right contacts for the printed follicle experiment. will probably take some more weeks... i'll keep you updated.

[Armandein]

Also with muscles
http://www.iflscience.com/technology...ered-biorobots