Previous studies of medical applications for three dimensional printing technology have shown that it is possible to print entire organs like liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs. Now, doctors from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts have created blood vessels using 3D printing technology.

Previous studies of medical applications for three dimensional printing technology have shown that it is possible to print entire organs like liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs.

Now, an international collaboration of doctors including from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts have created blood vessels using 3D printing technology.

Blood vessels are the main component of our circulatory system that let blood flow throughout the body delivering nutrients and flushing waste from our organs.

Senior study author, Doctor Ali Khademhosseini is quoted as saying: “Creating artificial blood vessels remains a unique challenge in tissue engineering. We’ve attempted to address this challenge by offering a unique strategy for vascularization of hydrogel constructs that combine advances in 3D bio-printing technology and biomaterials.”

This complex process involves using templates that are removed later after being used to mold the different parts of the blood vessel.

The doctors were able to recreate the layers of the vessels called endothelial monolayers, which are the inside walls of the vessels that filter fluids, and perform other essential functions, a crucial component of the new system for creating a network of blood vessels.

Doctor Khademhosseini also says that the new development might be used in the future to customize patient treatment, or as a way to develop new kinds of drugs.