Avant-garde Approach to Life: Reviewing the Current Applications of 3D Bioprinting

Abstract

Introduction: The promise of bioprinting tissue constructs that could potentially serve the same function in the human body as native tissues has taken the world of regenerative medicine by storm. The current review describes system-wide clinical applications of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting and aims to address ethical and social considerations, while also discussing the scope of this technology in the near future. Discussion: 3D bioprinting is believed to present new approaches to conventional treatment, offering the advantage of customization and on-time availability. It facilitates simultaneous deposition of appropriate bioinks and biomaterials onto scaffolds which can then be employed to develop tissue fabricates that can potentially mimic native tissues in both structure and functionality. It has been extensively employed to regenerate viable tissue constructs of skin, bone, cartilage, vasculature, myocardial tissue and heart valves, nervous tissue, lung and tracheal tissue, liver, pancreatic, and corneal tissue. Conclusion: To obviate the current restrictions associated with this technology, it is imperative to understand where we currently stand in terms of current clinical applications of 3D bioprinting. This technology is anticipated to contribute significantly to the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM), where it can be employed to fabricate functional tissues that can simulate their counterparts in the human body. Relevance: The increasing disparity between organ demand and supply as well as the shortcomings associated with antiquated approaches to treatment call for utilizing 3D bioprinting to develop viable tissue constructs.