Blogs

You all might have heard about the stupefying technology of 3D bioprinting. It focuses on delivering complex 3D structures through layer by layer addition of different biomaterials. These materials have their application in medical industry, most often used as medical implants, where they are designed in a way to communicate with the living entities in our body and mimic the mechanical function. Researchers have been successful in fabricating artificial kidneys and livers via 3D bio-printing. However, they lack the complexity to carry out bodily functions.

So how about activating these cells, making them respond to the surrounding environment, provoking them to change their shape or colour so that it imitates the biological functions? Sounds interesting right? And guess what, an American Scientist at Self-Assembly Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of technology has made this possible with his path-breaking innovation of an absolutely advanced technology named ‘4D bio-printing’. It comes with immense potential of producing scaffolds capable of producing an electrical current, respond to external stimulus such as light and heat, become bioactive and possess shape memory. It enables the structures to adopt the real dynamic nature of a bodily tissue or organ. It finds its application in fields of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, prosthetics manufacturing and are most commonly used in minimally invasive techniques and procedures involving self-assembly, surmounting the drawbacks of 3D bio-printing.

It is but obvious that, whenever a novel drug or chemical product is discovered, we do not directly introduce them into the market for human consumption, it instead undergoes various levels of testing.

It is but obvious that, whenever a novel drug or chemical product is discovered, we do not directly introduce them into the market for human consumption, it instead undergoes various levels of testing. Ever wondered on whom are these tested? The answer for the same is our very own ‘animals’. Animals have been targeted for centuries for anticipating the efficacy and potency of newly discovered molecules. But there is a catch! The long term suffering and inaccurate results of testing have growing ethical issues along with its other downsides. To solve this, 4D bio-printing comes to the rescue being competent enough for replacing the animal testing procedures.