The 3D printed HEART: Scientists could soon build replacement organs using a patient's own cells

The 3D printed HEART: Scientists could soon build replacement organs using a patient's own cells Scientists from the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, are able to print parts of hearts including blood vessels They think it will be possible to print an entire heart in three to five years' time and for it to be tested in humans in less than a decade The finished product would be called the ‘bioficial heart’ - a blend of the natural and artificial Bioficial hearts are desirable as they could solve the rejection problem some patients have with donor organs or an artificial heart From a human ear, to perfectly functioning valves, 3D printers are already being used in medicine, but now scientists in the U.S. are attempting to build a whole human heart using the versatile piece of kit. Learning by heart: Scientists could create a new heart for a patient using a 3D printer and their own cells. So far, the University of Louisville in Kentucky has printed human heart valves and small veins with cells, said Stuart Williams, a cell biologist leading the ambitious project. An organ built from a patient's cells could solve the rejection problem some patients have with donor organs or an artificial heart and it could eliminate the need for anti-rejection drugs, he said.