CIC nanoGUNE, Polymat, and Indart3D collaborate on this project aimed at providing researchers and medical professionals with an advanced biofabrication platform.
The research centers CIC nanoGUNE and Polymat, along with the 3D printing company, Indart3D, are collaborating to make available to medical and research personnel a tool that creates human tissues with the precision and complexity required for tissue and organ regeneration. The project, called NANOPRINT BIO, stems from a unique collaboration between research centers and companies and is supported by the R&D grants program of the SPRI Group Hazitek 2023.
In an increasingly aging society, tissue engineering seeks to develop solutions to repair or replace damaged or diseased tissues and organs with a personalized approach, aiming to offer specific treatments tailored to the individual needs of each patient. One of the greatest promises of tissue engineering is the creation of functional tissues and organs from the patient’s own cells, providing solutions to currently incurable diseases.
NANOPRINT BIO has the potential to take a step further in this direction, thanks to the combination of advanced bio-printing and nanofabrication technologies. «This platform will combine advanced technologies to achieve a high degree of precision in the production of complex biological structures with mechanical and biological properties suitable for use in biomedical applications,» explains Javier Latasa, project leader at nanoGUNE.
«The process practically consists of two phases, and the same machine is responsible for both: first, the scaffold—the base—is printed or obtained, consisting of a fibrous structure that provides robustness while offering mechanical properties similar to the desired tissue. Then, a hydrogel with stem cells is deposited on this base, which will ultimately generate the desired tissue with an unparalleled level of structural precision, resulting in functional tissue,» adds Javier Latasa.
«The project also aims,» Latasa points out, «to make the final tool simple, so that it can be used directly by medical or research personnel. This will allow them to create tissues for personalized studies and evaluate how each patient will respond to certain drugs and therapies.»
The three entities involved in the project agree that «this innovative tool has the potential to revolutionize the biofabrication of human tissues and improve the quality of life of numerous patients globally, as it allows for a more precise reproduction of tissue characteristics.» In other words, «we are getting closer and closer to the exact reproduction of real tissues,» concludes Javier Latasa.
