Australian Surgeons Use 3D Printing BioPen to Treat Joint and Cartilage Degeneration

When it comes to regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy is an eye-catching therapy. As technology develops rapidly, physicians and researchers have sought for better ways to improve quality of lives with minimal risks for patients. Recently, 3D printing research is being used in various medical fields, including designing prosthetics. New research is combining 3D printing technology with the addition of stem cells to potentially regenerate tissue. Recently, A group of Australian surgeons used 3D stem cell BioPen to “draw” cartilage into an affected knee in sheep. Filled with stem cells, the BioPen could accurately inject these pluripotent cells into the most needed places of the knee. The sheep, after treatment, showed much cartilage regrowth in the affected joint as well as motion improvement. “The healing was exceptional. We are excited to regenerate a variety of other tissues,” Dr. Peter Choong, an orthopedic surgeon at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Australia, said in an interview according to 3Dprint.com. He also added “hopefully, within a year, we would be able to test this exciting technique in human patients.” While the technology of 3D printing is exciting, more research is needed to better understand ideal applications and safety.