Bioprinting Under Pressure: 3D Printing Lung Models to Study the Effect of Extreme Environments

When pilots and astronauts go into flight, their bodies are pushed into environments far more extreme than anything experienced on the ground. To better understand how humans respond under these intense conditions, researchers at Texas A&M University, supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, are turning to 3D bioprinting with living lung cells. Their goal is twofold: to enhance safety in aviation and spaceflight, and to accelerate the study and treatment of respiratory diseases.

In aviation settings, there can be elevated temperatures, crushing pressures, and reduced oxygen levels, all of which can harmfully affect the body. Rapid shifts in altitude or pressure, for example, may lead to dangerous fluid buildup in the lungs, while high temperatures can trigger strokes, tissue damage, or even organ failure. Traditional 2D cell cultures fall short in demonstrating what happens in such complex environments. 3D cell models, however, offer a more lifelike representation of how human cells behave under stress, opening the door to more accurate testing.

Pilots can face intense physical conditions while in flight. (Photo Credits: (Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Meneguin/Air Force)

Recreating Extreme Conditions

To accurately model how lung cells respond to harsh environments, the Texas A&M team needed highly controlled bioprinting parameters to ensure the cells remained viable. “Even small adjustments in the bioprinting process can dramatically affect cell viability and proliferation,” College of Arts and Sciences professor Dr. Hongmin Qin explained. “By fine-tuning these parameters, we are laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs in tissue engineering.”

The researchers simulated extreme conditions through a series of targeted experiments. For one study, published in Biomimetics, the team varied extrusion pressure during printing. They found that higher pressures led to greater cell death. In another study, published in Bioengineering, they exposed the 3D printed samples to different temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius. They observed that higher heat increased oxidative stress and reduced cell survival. “The pressure and temperature findings highlight the need for precise techniques to preserve the viability of lung cells in 3D-bioprinted samples, and demonstrate how the cells respond to environmental stressors,” Qin noted.