Will Bioprinting Define the Next Era of 3D Printing?

Conference Abstract: More than 35 years ago, 3D printing was introduced as a prototyping tool. Since then, it has changed the way industries innovate, from industrial to healthcare and consumer goods. 3D printing technology, when combined with biology, is helping blaze the trail into the new frontier of bioprinting. Bioprinting allows the structuring of cells, growth factors, and/or biomaterials to fabricate biomedical constructs, often with the aim of replicating natural tissue characteristics. When combined with regenerative medicine (i.e., the treatment of disease by repairing or replacing damaged tissues or organs with the goal of restoring function while avoiding risk of rejection using a patient’s own cells), the goal is to fabricate functional tissues and organs.

The bioprinting application opportunity has the potential to change the future of humankind, and in the meantime, could reshape the 3D printing industry. The ability to manufacture functional human tissues and organs could: help solve the transplant crisis, create a new generation of personalized medicine, and improve the way drugs are tested and developed. Bioprinting could pave the way for true disruption in healthcare. There are still challenges with technically recreating the complex function of the human body, along with the more comprehensible challenges of accessibility, cost, standards, regulatory and bioethics.

Is this opportunity real? Will bioprinting define the next era of 3D printing? During this session, 3D Systems’ Vice President, Regenerative Medicine, Katie Weimer, will share the current state of bioprinting, underscore the trials and tribulations in the field, and speak to how many of the industry’s leading innovators are rising to the challenge to shape the future of bioprinting. Through showcasing promising applications, Katie will highlight how the fabrication of living tissues and organs can unlock the potential to drive research, develop new products, and improve patient lives.