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Science | Relationships and health

Bioprinting to fight cancer – and Covid-19

Could printed human organs help end disease forever? In an amazing breakthrough, scientists are creating tiny replicas of human organs – some as small as a pinhead – to test new treatments. At Dr Anthony Atala's laboratory in North CarolinaA state in the USA., a 3D printer whirrs into life. What it produces is so small that it might be destined for a doll's house - or at least a doll's operating theatre. Instead, the miniature pair of lungs will be couriered overnight to another laboratory 300 miles away. There, they will be used to test drugs which could play a vital part in the fight against Covid-19. Dr Atala is an expert in bioprinting, a technology that could transform the world of medicine. The tiny "organoids" he produces - some no bigger than a pinhead - function in the same way as the full-sized organs in our bodies, but without the variables created by our individual state of health. This makes it possible to gauge the precise effect that a drug has on them. The value of organoids has already been proved in combating diseases such as the Zika virus. Instead of having to find humans willing to be tested with new drugs, Dr Atala and his team can produce thousands of miniature body parts per hour. And within a decade, some experts believe, it could be possible to create organs on a human scale. "Even to us, it sometimes seems like science fiction," says another leading biomedical engineer, Dr Akhilesh Gaharwar. In normal 3D printing, the printer squirts out layer upon layer of a material, such as plastic, to build an object. Bioprinting works on the same principle, starting with a framework known as a scaffold, made out of biodegradable materials which will eventually disappear. To this, the printer adds layers of "bioink" - a gel containing living cells, which are then left to interact and link with each other until they grow into the required organ. A major problem for health services, at present, is the lack of organs for transplants. In the US, it is estimated to be the leading cause of death: experts believe that 900,000 lives a year could be saved or prolonged if supply equalled demand. In the UK, the average waiting time for a kidney transplant on the NHS is more than two and a half years. Printing organs could not only reduce these numbers dramatically, but solve the problem of a patient's body rejecting the new organ since it could be made using their own cells. As with many medical breakthroughs, however, ethical concerns have been raised by those who believe scientists are "playing God" and might eventually try to create a new type of human being. It might, for instance, be possible to develop unburnable skin. Money is another worry. "This is an extremely expensive technology that, if it is realised, only a few will be able to afford," says Dr Niki Vermeulen, a lecturer at Edinburgh University. "There is a risk that the health inequalities and postcode lottery that currently exist will also make it unavailable for most people." Could printed human organs help end disease for ever? Organ practice Some say yes. The human body is so complex and interconnected that it is extremely difficult for doctors to investigate and treat one organ without the risk of side-effects elsewhere. With bioprinting, they can create perfect models to establish the best procedure and should eventually be able to replace a diseased organ completely if necessary Others point out that printed organs might be able to replace diseased ones, but they would not be able to stop diseases developing in the first place. To do that, it would be better for scientists to focus on genetic engineering. And though bioprinting is likely to become less expensive with time, there are many people for whom it will never be affordable. KeywordsNorth Carolina - A state in the USA.

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