Scientists at the RIKEN national science institute in Japan have made a breakthrough in tissue engineering with the development of a new device using hydrogels. This device has the potential to revolutionize drug testing and provide valuable insights into tissue development and the growth of artificial organs.
Accurately replicating real tissues is crucial for drug development and understanding the process of development. However, creating lab-grown organoids that mimic real tissues has proven to be a challenging task, often requiring complex techniques such as 3D printing and microfluidic technologies.
The RIKEN team’s innovative technique involves confining layers of hydrogels with different properties in a cube-shaped culture vessel using a pipette. This allows for the creation of complex 3D organoids without the need for elaborate techniques. Cells can be easily inserted into the hydrogels, allowing for the creation of a range of tissue types.
In addition to this, the team has also demonstrated the ability to recreate body-axis patterning, which has been a challenging achievement in the laboratory. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for studying the development of organs and understanding the process of tissue growth.
One of the key advantages of this new technique is that it does not require a high level of expertise to seed the cells into the hydrogels. This makes the technique accessible to a range of researchers, resulting in broader applications and collaborations in the field of tissue engineering.
The resulting tissues can be imaged and maintain information about the gradient orientation. This is a significant advancement in the field, as it allows researchers to better understand organ development and contributes to the creation of artificial organs.
Overall, the development of this new device using hydrogels by the scientists at RIKEN has the potential to greatly advance the understanding of organ development and contribute to the field of tissue engineering. Its potential applications in drug testing and the creation of artificial organs are promising, and further research and collaboration in this area are eagerly anticipated.
“Social media scholar. Reader. Zombieaholic. Hardcore music maven. Web fanatic. Coffee practitioner. Explorer.”