Scientists from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) are attempting to integrate 3D-printed respiratory tissue with lab-grown “mini-organs” to help patients in need of transplants in the future.
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Professor Michael Chan Chi-wai from HKU’s Centre for Immunology and Infection said his team was looking to produce personalised 3D-printed airways for burn victims using organoids or “mini-organs” grown from patients’ own cells collected through a single oral swab.
“Airways are one of our strengths and an area we have dedicated significant time to. When people suffer from burn injuries, they may need to reconstruct their airway,” said Chan, who also belongs to the division of public health laboratory sciences at HKU’s medical faculty.
“Existing technologies allow the 3D printing of an airway using biomaterials. But without the cells, it cannot perform the functions of an airway.”
Organoids are developed using a person’s stem cells and can mimic the function and structure of the actual organs of a specific patient. They can be used to test a certain person’s reaction to medicine, vaccines or diseases.
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According to Chan, HKU is one of the world’s leading institutions in the research and development of respiratory organoids. The university has set up a spin-off company called C2iTech, specialising in personalised organoid cultivation.