Biomedical Engineering Tissue Engineering

Scientists 3D-printed living skin with real blood vessels—for the first time in medical history In a regenerative medicine lab in Canada, researchers have used 3D bioprinting to create living human skin complete with functioning blood vessels. This artificial skin bleeds, heals, and grows just like the real thing—opening the door to full grafts, wound healing, and organ interfaces. Most previous bioprinting attempts failed to create vascular systems—meaning the cells died quickly without oxygen. But the Canadian team solved this by printing skin in layers: dermis, epidermis, and most critically, embedded channels for capillaries. They used a custom hydrogel laced with human endothelial cells that self-assembled into blood vessel networks. After a few days in bioreactors, the skin began circulating fluid through these tiny channels—proof of real tissue viability. When grafted onto lab animals with skin damage, the printed patches fused with their bodies and began healing naturally. No rejection, no necrosis, just real biological function. The skin even grew hair follicles when cultured under specific protein conditions. This could end the reliance on donor skin for burn victims and cosmetic reconstruction. It may also allow artificial organs to be covered in living tissue for better integration. We’re one step closer to printing entire bodies—one blood vessel at a time. #research #biowolrd #biomedicalresearch

New paper out today in Advanced Healthcare Materials: We pit Myokines vs. Mechanics to establish the separate mechanical & biochemical mechanisms by which muscle contraction programs motor neuron growth and maturation from the bottom up! https://lnkd.in/eaUuZZZb Summary of our findings: Myokines secreted by contracting muscle play important roles throughout the body (highlighting the systemic beneficial impacts of exercise!), but it is difficult to isolate the muscle-specific origin and functional impact of circulating biochemicals in vivo. To dive deeper into bottom-up communication from muscles to motor neurons, we needed a way to efficiently generate large volumes of myokines in vitro i.e. collect conditioned media from contractile muscle monolayers! But contractile 2D muscle monolayers readily delaminate from substrates making it difficult to efficiently collect conditioned media rich in myokines... so we had to develop a fibrin hydrogel formulation that enabled stable culture of highly contractile 2D muscle over several weeks. Leveraging our "myokine factory", we observed that motor neurons grew faster and farther when stimulated with muscle-secreted factors, and that the degree of observed axonogenesis was dependent on muscle contraction intensity (i.e. dose dependent)! But evidence in the literature also points to ways in which the large *mechanical* forces generated during muscle contraction have an impact on neighboring tissues, making us curious to investigate the role of mechanobiology in muscle-motor neuron crosstalk. Leveraging our lab's Magnetic Matrix Actuation (MagMA) platform, we found that dynamic mechanical stimulation of motor neurons (mimicking forces generated during muscle contraction) significantly increased axonogenesis, having an *equivalent* impact to myokine stimulation! Despite morphological similarities, we noted that biochemical stimulation (with myokines) & mechanical stimulation (with MagMA) had different impacts on motor neuron gene expression, with myokines more significantly upregulating genes that play key roles in nerve/synapse maturation. Overall, our experiments highlight the importance of studying bottom-up signaling from muscles to motor neurons, as well as the significance of considering both biochemical *and* mechanical signaling when studying crosstalk with force-generating tissues. This paper builds on our previous in vivo study published in Biomaterials, which showed that targeted stimulation of denervated muscle grafts quickly restored mobility after trauma in mice (indicating regrowth of injured motor neurons). More details in the paper! Kudos to lead author Angel Bu and everyone on the team MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering (MechE) for years of careful experiments and beautiful images!

Injectable gel repairs hearts after attacks regrowing dead muscle tissue naturally Duke University scientists created VentriGel—a cardiac extracellular matrix hydrogel derived from pig heart tissue that stimulates human heart muscle regeneration. In trials of 89 heart attack survivors with severe damage, 71% showed significant improvement in heart function, with dead scar tissue gradually replaced by living, contracting muscle. Heart attacks kill cardiac muscle by cutting off blood supply. Dead tissue scars permanently, weakening the heart and often leading to heart failure. VentriGel changes this equation. The gel is injected directly into damaged heart areas through cardiac catheterization—no open-heart surgery required. Once in place, it provides a scaffold that recruits the patient's own stem cells, supports new blood vessel formation, and guides cardiac muscle regeneration. The extracellular matrix contains biological signals that instruct cells how to behave—essentially providing a blueprint for rebuilding heart tissue. Over 3-6 months, scar tissue transforms into functioning muscle. Heart pumping efficiency (ejection fraction) improves from dangerously low levels (25-35%) to near-normal ranges (45-55%). Patients breathe easier, walk farther, and avoid heart failure hospitalizations. The treatment costs approximately $35,000—far less than heart transplants ($1.4 million) or mechanical heart pumps ($250,000+). Insurance coverage is expanding as one-year outcomes data shows sustained benefits. About 805,000 Americans suffer heart attacks annually. If widely deployed, VentriGel could prevent the heart failure epidemic that typically follows myocardial infarction. Should regenerative approaches replace device-based interventions for heart failure? 📊 Source: Duke University Medical Center, Circulation Research 2024 #HeartAttack #CardiacRegeneration #HeartFailure #RegenerativeMedicine #Cardiology #TissueEngineering #MedicalInnovation #MyocardialInfarction

Excited to share our newest paper published in #ScienceAdvances on "3D bioprinting of collagen-based high-resolution internally perfusable scaffolds for engineering fully biologic tissue systems." Microfluidics and microphysiologic systems can now be constructed entirely out of cells and ECM, no more PDMS or plastic needed! This work was lead by an amazing team including co-first-authors Daniel Shiwarski and Andrew Hudson, Ph.D. together with Joshua Tashman, Ezgi Bakirci, Samuel Moss and Brian Coffin, PhD. The article is open access and free for everyone to read. https://lnkd.in/eQr27gcu The journal cover shows one of our #FRESH #3Dbioprinted collagen CHIPS in the specially designed VAPOR bioreactor for extended in vitro perfusion.

💉✨ “New Knee Without Surgery?” – The Truth Behind Germany’s Cartilage Repair Gel Since 2013, Germany has used a collagen-based gel (ChondroFiller/AMIC) to repair worn-out joint cartilage. 👉 It’s not just a quick injection—it requires a minimally invasive keyhole surgery where the gel acts as a scaffold for your body to regrow cartilage. 👉 Social media might call it a “brand-new miracle,” but it’s actually a decade-old technique. 👉 The real breakthroughs today? Injectable, biodegradable hydrogels now in clinical trials—designed to mimic natural cartilage and dissolve as new tissue grows. Yes—Germany has produced an injectable collagen-based gel, originally known as ChondroFiller, designed to help repair damaged joint cartilage in a minimally invasive way. Developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute, it’s been available since 2013 and requires only a brief injection—not full-blown surgery. While posts on social media have recently hyped it as a brand-new breakthrough, the truth is more measured: the gel still involves minor procedures and carries the usual risks of allergic reactions. Current research continues to explore even more advanced, biodegradable cartilage-regenerating gels that mimic natural joint environments and dissolve as new tissue forms. These innovations are still experimental, with promising results in early trials—but they’re not yet ready for everyday clinical use. Would you try regenerative gels instead of joint replacement in the future? 🤔👇 #MedicalMyths #RegenerativeMedicine #CartilageRepair #JointHealth #Orthopedics #Biotech #FutureOfMedicine

Following our recent breakthrough in developing mouse mini-intestines for ex vivo tumor development (https://lnkd.in/eAc6YzAr) and building on our ability to generate in vitro models of healthy human colon (https://lnkd.in/ep7Xni-3), we asked ourselves: can this technology be applied to cells from colorectal cancer patients? We're thrilled to announce that our latest publication provides the answer: https://rdcu.be/dMuAr We've created long-lived human 'mini-colons' that stably integrate patient cancer cells and their native tumor microenvironment. This innovative format is optimized for real-time, high-resolution evaluation of cellular dynamics, offering exciting experimental possibilities. Our research highlights include: 1) Multi-faceted evaluation of drug efficacy, toxicity, and resistance in anti-cancer therapies. 2) Discovery of a cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF)-triggered mechanism driving colorectal cancer invasion. 3) Identification of immunomodulatory interactions among different components of the tumor microenvironment. This work has been led by Luis Francisco Lorenzo Martín, with invaluable support from Nicolas Broguiere, Jakob Langer, Lucie Tillard, Mike Nikolaev, George Coukos, and Krisztian Homicsko. Thank you all!! #Organoid #Tumoroid #Bioengineering #CancerResearch #TeamScience

🔬 New publication in Arthroscopy Techniques 🎯 The Quad 2.0 Technique: A Single Rectus Femoris Autograft Solution for Combined ACL and Double-Bundle ALL Reconstruction Proud to share our latest surgical innovation: the Quad 2.0 technique, using a single rectus femoris tendon autograft for anatomical reconstruction of both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the anterolateral ligament (ALL) — particularly suited for revision ACL surgeries. 💡 Why is it a breakthrough? • Avoids additional femoral/tibial tunnels for ALL • Preserves hamstring tendons • Reduces donor site morbidity and anterior knee pain • Effective in multiligament knee injuries • Optimizes valgus stability • Allograft-free revision strategy A precise, reproducible, and minimally invasive technique for challenging ACL cases. 📎 Open access article: https://lnkd.in/e7s98K_N With: Victor Sonnery-Cottet, Dany Mouarbes Ali Alayane MD, FEBOT ,Regis Pailhe #ACLreconstruction #Quad20 #ALLreconstruction #KneeSurgery #Orthopedics #SportsMedicine #Innovation #CHUToulouse #Cavaignac #Arthroscopy

🔬 A New Era in Medicine: First-Ever 3D-Printed Windpipe Implanted in Cancer Survivor In a groundbreaking medical achievement, South Korean scientists have successfully implanted a 3D-printed trachea (windpipe) into a patient — marking a world-first and redefining the future of regenerative medicine. The patient, a woman who had lost a part of her windpipe due to thyroid cancer surgery, became the recipient of this bioengineered miracle. The artificial trachea was developed using bio-ink composed of the patient's own living cells — including cartilage and mucosal cells — combined with a biodegradable polymer scaffold (PCL). This scaffold not only provided mechanical strength but also allowed the body to regenerate its own tissue around it. What makes this even more astonishing? ✅ No immunosuppressants were needed. Since the trachea was built from the patient’s own cells, her body accepted it naturally. ✅ Healthy blood vessels formed within 6 months, a critical sign of integration and healing. ✅ The patient regained normal function without the usual complications of transplant rejection. Led by Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital and T&R Biofab, this achievement is being hailed as a major milestone in personalized medicine and bioprinting technology. The future is no longer dependent solely on donors — it's now being printed, cell by cell. This opens the door for the possibility of 3D-printed lungs, kidneys, even hearts — tailored for the individual, reducing waitlists, and eliminating the risk of rejection. We are witnessing the dawn of a medical revolution where organs won’t just be donated… they’ll be designed. #RegenerativeMedicine #3DPrinting #HealthcareInnovation #Biotech #FutureOfMedicine #MedicalBreakthrough #OrganTransplant 🪻Ram Sharma 🪻