BIOLIFE4D bioprints small human heart for the first time in the U.S.

BIOLIFE4D, one of the pioneers in the bioprinting field, has been able to bioprint a miniature human heart – making it the first U.S. company to successfully achieve this. The company’s mission is to create a fully functioning human heart through bioprinting and using patient’s own cells in order to eliminate the challenges of organ rejection and long donor waiting lists. This is a big milestone for BIOLIFE4D, and one step closer towards it goal of producing a full-sized human heart viable for transplant.

Dr. Ravi Birla, Chief Science Officer at BIOLIFE4D explains: “We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished, from the ability to 3D bioprint human cardiac tissue last summer to a mini heart with full structure now. We believe we are at the forefront of whole heart bioengineering, a field that has matured quickly over the last year, and well positioned to continue our rapid scientific advancement. Today is an exciting day, but we continue forward earnestly toward the end goal of 3D bioprinting whole human hearts.”

Credits: BIOLIFE4D

Back in April, a team of scientists at Tel Aviv University, in Israel, managed to produce a tiny heart, the size of a cherry and with patients’ own cells. This bioprinted heart contained cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chamber. Even though the cells were able to contract, at the time they did not have the ability to pump yet.