3D-printed ‘benchtop’ brain promises drug, disorder advances
Such a "benchtop" brain that can accurately mimic the human brain promises significant potential for pharmaceutical and other organizations researching the effects of drugs, disorders and disease on the human brain. Currently millions of dollars are spent testing the effectiveness of drugs meant for humans on animals, with results that often do not translate over to humans.
According to the researchers, the breakthrough will enable important insights into brain function, in addition to providing an experimental test bed for new drugs and electroceuticals. "We are still a long way from printing a brain but the ability to arrange cells so as they form neuronal networks is a significant step forward," says Professor Gordon Wallace, Executive Research Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science.
The six-layer structure was created using a custom "bio-ink" developed by the researchers. The bio-ink was then optimized for 3D printing, resulting in the ability to bioprint discrete layers of primary neural cells encapsulated in hydrogels to ultimately create the layered structure.
According to Wallace, "This paves the way for the use of more sophisticated printers to create structures with much finer resolution." For more, see the paper published in the journal Biomaterials: 3D printing of layered brain-like structures using peptide modified gellan gum substrates.
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