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Organovo Now Selling Tiny 3D-printed Human Livers

posted by LaminatorX on Friday November 21 2014, @04:39PM   Printer-friendly
from the world-of-tomorrow dept.

AnonTechie writes:

When a medication enters the bloodstream, it ends up being concentrated in the liver – after all, one of the organ's main functions is to cleanse the blood. This means that if a drug is going to have an adverse effect on any part of the body, chances are it will be the liver. It would seem to follow, therefore, that if a pharmaceutical company wanted to test the safety of its products, it would be nice to have some miniature human livers on which to experiment – which is just what San Diego-based biotech firm Organovo ( http://ir.organovo.com/news/press-releases/press-releases-details/2014/Organovo-Announces-Commercial-Release-of-the-exVive3D-Human-Liver-Tissue/default.aspx ) is about to start selling.

Known as exVive3D, the three-dimensional liver models measure just a few millimeters across, and are created using a 3D bioprinter. The device incorporates two print heads, one of which deposits a support matrix, and the other of which precisely places human liver cells in it.

http://www.gizmag.com/organovo-exvive3d-liver-models/34843/

[Additional Coverage]: http://www.popsci.com/3-d-printed-pencil-tip-size-livers-go-sale

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday November 21 2014, @05:52PM

    by Thexalon (636) on Friday November 21 2014, @05:52PM (#118542)

    If we could get to the point where it was easy to get replacements for human livers, I'd no longer need to worry about cirrhosis, and then have no fear about drinking a couple of extra pints. Right now, I'm stuck looking for people who answer yes to the question "Can I have your liver then?"

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  • (Score: 3) by paulej72 on Friday November 21 2014, @06:35PM

    by paulej72 (58) on Friday November 21 2014, @06:35PM (#118550) Journal
    Actually you can get part of a person's liver and you can both live. http://www.upmc.com/services/transplant/abdominal-transplants/liver/patient-caregiver/pages/living-donation.aspx [upmc.com]
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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @06:55AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @06:55AM (#118707)
      I gather that doctors and donors don't generally like to transplant to people with liver damage due to excessive alcohol consumption.