3D printed tissue and organ using additive manufacturing: An overview

Background: Research papers on Additive Manufacturing (AM)/3D printing in tissue/organ printing are studied to understand its capability for tissue and organ printing with and new advancement in the medical field. Aim of the research: To study and discuss the advantages and limitations of AM when used for printing of customised scaffold, tissue and organ, which are a challenge to the medical field. Materials and methods: This literature-based study understands the creation of innovation in the medical field and its different areas to address upcoming challenges. Thus, relevant research papers from the Scopus database are identified and purposefully analysed. Result: Studied the main components of additive manufacturing as required for tissue and organ printing and process used to create tissue/organ by using this technology. We have further identified different materials based requirements for tissue and organ printing and how this technology can fulfil this requirement to save the life of the patient. Finally, this paper identifies eight significant advancements of AM in the medical field with a brief description and limitations when additive manufacturing is used for tissue and organ printing. Conclusion: In the current scenario, tissue engineering and cell therapy employ an innovative approach to reduce the mortality rate. However, the main challenge for this is customisation, which is somewhat taken up by AM technologies. This technology has already addressed different challenges in the medical field. For tissue and organ printing, this technique seems better as compared to 2D conventional cell technique. With the help of scanned data, 3D printing allows us to create intricate internal structures. Thus, it can be used to develop bone tissues, which are required for clinical applications towards the treatment of bone defects. It also plays an outstanding role in cardiac masses, heart disease, physiology, electrophysiology, tested for diagnosis and better treatment of valvular heart disease. Doctors and surgeon easily understand the aortic valve of the patient. It improves post-surgery, blood flow and helps proper selection of devices including stents. AM is to take up the challenge for the development of artificial bone with biomechanical properties as similar to bone. It uses the material in the form of powder, wire and ceramic. It has promising applications to print liver tissue and liver cell and fulfils the requirement of customisation in different fields.