Organ-ami: 3D printing organs with paper

Researchers have reported success in the printing of paper organs with artificial blood vessels, capable of being populated with cells and to be used in preclinical drug testing. Researchers have published results in Nano Letters demonstrating their success in utilizing bacterial cellulose, the low-cost material used to make paper, as a material to 3D print supports for artificial organs which could be populated with cells. The team described their success in the creation of a breast tumor model, whereby the team 3D printed petroleum jelly-paraffin ink into a bacterial cellulose hydrogel. The hydrogel was the air-dried, leaving it porous and...