Japanese scientists have created a revolutionary method of growing human organs using 3D technologies

A group of scientists at the RIKEN Research Institute (Japan) has developed a device that creates complex three-dimensional organs using a hydrogel layer. The only thing that distinguishes them from the real ones is that they are created in artificial conditions, reports SciTech Daily.

For a long time, scientists have been trying to create organelles (tissues similar to real organs, but grown in the laboratory) to reproduce real biological development. They explain that the emergence of organoids that function like real tissues is important for drug development. In this way, researchers can get an idea of how drugs move through different tissues. The technology also helps to understand the process of organ development.

However, the development of organoids has not been easy. In nature, tissues develop through a complex process, and organoid cells grown in the laboratory grow in homogeneous conditions. To create them, 3D printing or microfluidic technologies are used, which require sophisticated equipment and technical skills.

In a scientific article published in Advanced Materials Technologies, a group of Japanese researchers announced the development of a new innovative technique that allows for spatial control of the environment around the grown organs. The method involves placing layers of hydrogels — substances consisting mainly of water — with different physical and chemical properties inside a cube-shaped vessel.

In the study, different hydrogels were introduced into the scaffold using a pipette and held in place by surface tension. Cells could be injected into the cubes both inside individual hydrogels and in the form of granules that could be moved into different layers. This allowed the scientists to create different types of tissues.

«We are very excited about these achievements, as the new system will allow researchers to quickly and without complicated technical hurdles reproduce organoids that are more closely related to how organs develop in real organisms. We hope that a number of researchers will use our method to create various new organoids and contribute to the study of various organ systems. Ultimately, we hope that this will also contribute to understanding how we can create real artificial organs that can help people in need,» the scientists say.

Earlier, we told you about a tech startup that proposed the concept of the world’s first plant for growing babies. Berlin biotechnologists claim that one such plant will be able to «hatch» up to 30,000 babies a year. According to the scientists, this option will allow infertile couples to conceive a child and become real biological parents of their own offspring.