3-D Bioprinting Sector

[gfp927z]

Organovo -- >>> Bioprinting human livers and other organs



http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/14/how-3-d-printing-is-revolutionizing-health-care.aspx



Organovo's involved in 3-D printing cells to produce human tissues with the ultimate goal of producing organs that can be used in transplants. It's a developmental stage company that made a splash late last year when it announced it bioprinted 3-D liver assays that were able to retain key liver functions for more than 40 days. The company plans to market its liver assays, which will be its first commercially available products, at the end of this year.

There's huge promise in focusing on the liver because liver toxicity is a primary reason why drugs that have made it through preclinical testing fail in clinical trials. Drug companies could prevent much wasted time and save billions of dollars if liver toxicity issues were detected earlier in the drug development process. Organovo's liver assays hold much potential as a drug-testing tool, among other uses.

Organovo's top execs and other industry experts have stated that we're at least a decade, perhaps two, away from being able to print solid organs, such as the liver, heart, and kidney. This achievement, of course, will be an ultimate gift from the gods for the many people around the world who suffer and die each year because of organ failure while they await a transplant.

Bioprinting solid organs won't remain in the science fiction realm, as some skeptics believe. There has already been considerable progress in bioprinting. Several entities -- most notably, Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine -- have used bioprinting to produce tissues and select (flat and non-solid) organs used for transplants. <<<