Dec 6, 2018 | By Thomas
Russian scientists have managed to grow the thyroid gland of a mouse in zero gravity using a 3D bioprinter on board on the International Space Station (ISS). The unique 3D magnetic bioprinter, called Organ.Aut, was delivered to the ISS by a Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft on December 3 by Expedition 58.
The Organ.Aut 3D bioprinter is a copy of one that was lost in the abort of the Soyuz MS-10 mission on Oct. 11. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who was previously trained to work with a 3D bioprinter, began the experiment on printing living tissue on 4 December at 17:00 GMT. At the moment, the first results of the experiment have already been obtained – russian scientists have managed to grow a mouse’s thyroid in zero gravity. Invitro, whose subsidiary 3D Bioprinting Solutions built the 3D bioprinter, told Ria Novosti: “We received photos from space. The camera clearly shows a living construction of a mouse’s thyroid being assembled.”
The results of the experiment will be sent to Earth for analysis in December 2018, after which their research will begin. And the results will be presented in February 2019. Invitro says that maturation of 3D printed organs and tissues in zero gravity occurs much faster and more efficiently than on Earth.
“There’s nothing impossible,” Invitro CEO Aleksandr Ostrovsky said. “Three-dimensional same results for bioprinting can be used in a variety of industries. We would love to solve transplantologies task. This is a huge market. Also quite interested in the prospect of printing food products from the cells, including in space.” When asked whether human organs will soon be 3D printed on the ISS, Ostrovsky said:“The only question is in costs. Right now we’re working on new types of bioprinting.”
The US plans to send its 3D bio-printer to the ISS in the spring of 2019.
The FABION 3D bioprinter, also developed by 3D Bioprinting Solutions, managed to achieve with mice cells in Earth’s gravity back in 2015.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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