3D printing in vivo for non-surgical implants and drug delivery
science.orgThree-dimensional printing offers promise for patient-specific implants and therapies but is often limited by the need for invasive surgical procedures. To address this, we developed an imaging-guided deep tissue in vivo sound printing (DISP) platform. By incorporating cross-linking agent–loaded low-temperature–sensitive liposomes into bioinks, DISP enables precise, rapid, on-demand cross-linking of diverse functional biomaterials using focused ultrasound. Gas vesicle–based ultrasound imaging provides real-time monitoring and allows for customized pattern creation in live animals. We validated DISP by successfully printing near diseased areas in the mouse bladder and deep within rabbit leg muscles in vivo, demonstrating its potential for localized drug delivery and tissue replacement. DISP’s ability to print conductive, drug-loaded, cell-laden, and bioadhesive biomaterials demonstrates its versatility for diverse biomedical applications.
3d printing and repairing organs inside the body using sound sounds absolutely amazing.
It would be even better to 3d print biodegradable scaffoldings for stem cells to grow between. For facial reconstructions of bone for example.
Can someone eli5 how this printing works?
it seems like they're able to use liposomes (molecules encapsulated in fatty or waxy organic shells) to deliver material to the desired location then use ultrasound to unsheath those molecules and knit them together into larger structures
I have no experience or education in this field so take this with a grain of salt.
Certain compounds like fibrin (in blood clots) and collagen (in extra cellular matrix) self assemble under certain conditions. Small volumes delivered via liposomes being triggered to self assemble in specific locations is fascinating.
I can't access the actually paper, perhaps a more naive question but is there a physical 3d noozle of sorts to deposit these liposomes in a 3d space?
I think they inject it in the approx location and then the ultrasound makes the structures form