CHICAGO, Feb. 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIOLIFE4D, a biotech pioneer leveraging advances in tissue engineering to 3D print human organs viable for transplant, today announced its Chief Science Officer, Dr. Ravi Birla, has published a paper in the prestigious APL Bioengineering scholarly journal. The paper, titled “3D bioprinting and its potential impact on cardiac failure treatment: An industry perspective,” was co-authored by Stuart K. Williams, professor at the University of Louisville and a renowned expert within cardiovascular research and biomedical engineering.
The paper focuses on the emergence of 3D bioprinting technologies as innovation for the treatment of patients in cardiac failure, and how the continued successful creation of 3D bioprinting systems could permit the assembly of a fully bioprinted heart. It also fully outlines the process for 3D bioprinting human tissue, including the need to create a bioink and how to print various cardiac structures like the conduction system, valves, and muscle.
“We are proud to have worked with Stuart Williams to create a definitive industry perspective as to the potential for utilizing 3D bioprinting within treatment for cardiac failure, and to publish it in a prestigious outlet like APL Bioengineering,” said Dr. Birla. “We are making tremendous progress in the development of this technology every single day and believe the opportunity to utilize 3D bioprinting to treat heart disease is endless. We hope this article will serve as a guide to inform the industry of what this innovative technology can do and look forward to continuing our important research.”
BIOLIFE4D’s own innovative 3D bioprinting process provides the ability to reprogram a patient’s own (white) blood cells to iPS cells, and then to differentiate those iPS cells into different types of cardiac cells needed to 3D bioprint individual cardiac components and ultimately a human heart viable for transplant. This means BIOLIFE4D will 3D bioprint using cardiac cells derived from the patient’s own cells to create living, viable constructs without the risk of rejection which faces current donor organ recipients.
The Company has developed proprietary bioinks using a very specific composition of different extracellular matrix compounds that closely replicate the properties of the mammalian heart. Further, it has developed a novel and unique bioprinting algorithm, consisting of printing parameters optimized for the whole heart. Coupling its proprietary bioink with patient-derived cardiomyocytes and its enabling bioprinting technology, BIOLIFE4D is currently focused on its mini-heart which, while smaller in size, will replicate many of the features of a human heart. With this platform technology in place, BIOLIFE4D is well-positioned to build upon this platform and work towards the development of a full-scale human heart.
“We are very proud of Dr. Birla and honored for the opportunity to work with someone as well-respected in the industry as Stuart Williams to publish such an important paper,” said Steven Morris, CEO, BIOLIFE4D. “The technology process and platform outlined in this paper is technology that BIOLIFE4D is working on in our labs every single day, and further validates that we are at the forefront of our industry. 3D bioprinting has incredible potential for treatment of heart disease, and we will not stop until we bring that technology to market.”
APL Bioengineering is a prestigious scholarly journal devoted to research at the intersection of biology, physics, and engineering. The journal publishes high-impact manuscripts specific to the understanding and advancement of physics and engineering of biological systems, and focuses on topics including regenerative medicine, bioprocessing and biomanufacturing, and cell and tissue engineering.
About BIOLIFE4D
BIOLIFE4D is a pioneering biotech company laser focused on leveraging advances in life sciences and tissue engineering to 3D bioprint a viable human heart suitable for transplant – lifesaving technology that gives patients the gift of time. With BIOLIFE4D, a patient-specific, fully functioning heart will be created through 3D bioprinting using the patient’s own cells – eliminating the well-known challenges of organ rejection and long donor waiting lists that plague existing organ transplant methods. Financed through equity crowdfunding, BIOLIFE4D is driving a movement to transform the treatment of heart disease, the leading cause of death among both men and women globally. Learn more and invest at biolife4d.com. Connect with us on social media on Twitter (@BIOLIFE4D), Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
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