Australian-Scientists-Develop-Technology-To-Print-Bone-Like-Structures

Australian Scientists Have Developed A Ceramic-Based Ink That Could Allow Surgeons To Print Bone-Like Structures With Living Cells.

By Faizan Hashmi

Scientists from Australia’s University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) have developed a ceramic-based ink that could allow future surgeons to print bone parts with living cells, which could be used to restore damaged bone tissue, the university announced on Monday.

“Using a 3D-printer that deploys a special ink made up of calcium phosphate, the scientists developed a new technique, known as ceramic omnidirectional bioprinting in cell-suspensions (COBICS), enabling them to print bone-like structures that harden in a matter of minutes when placed in water,” the university said in a statement.

According to Dr. Iman Roohani from the university’s school of chemistry, while the idea of printing bone-mimicking structures is not new, this is the first case in which such material can be created at room temperature with living cells and without invasive chemicals and radiation.

“It could be used in clinical applications where there is a large demand for in situ repair of bone defects such as those caused by trauma, cancer, or where a big chunk of tissue is resected,” Roohani said. One of the subsets of 3D-printing is known as bioprinting, which differs from the standard approach by using special ink instead of powder to print biological objects, such as tissues and organs.

Thios news was originally published at Urdu Point.