Sure, we can now 3D print stem cells and even whole organs like kidneys, heart, liver and lungs. But 3D printing blood vessels? Now that was a challenge. A team from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has managed to successfully fabricate blood vessels using a three-dimensional bioprinting technique, Phys.org reports. Here’s how they did it: “The researchers first used a 3D bioprinter to make an agarose fiber template to serve as the mold for the blood vessels. They then covered the mold with a gelatin-like substance called hydrogel, forming a cast over the mold which was then reinforced via photocrosslinks.”
