Readily3D to 3D Print Pancreas Models for Diabetes Research

Readily3D, a spin-off of the Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL) a top research institute and university in Switzerland, has joined a European project to develop a living model of the pancreas. They hope to use the pancreas for better testing of diabetes medication but also have the long term goal of providing new tools to resolve the shortage of donors for transplantation and regenerative medicine. Lead by UMC Utrecht, the consortium includes a mixture of manufacturers and research universities including Readily3D, ESFL, ETH Zürich, the University of Naples Federico II, Astrzeneco and Foundazione Giannino Bassetti. Readily3D’s ultra-rapid printing technology will be used to 3D print pancreas models.

As the pancreas is responsible for producing enzymes and hormones, including insulin, when it is not functioning properly it results in diabetes which can hit people of all ages. The coordinator of ENLIGHT highlights that diabetes is the most common chronic disease in children and also one of the diseases where the development of new drugs is lagging behind. Here lies the reasoning behind the creation of the project, which was granted a contribution of 3.6 million euros by the European Innovation Fund Horizon 2020.

A 3D printed valve created by Readily3D (photo credits: Readily3D)

Why a 3D printed pancreas?

This is perhaps not surprising to regular readers, as bioprinting is increasingly being put forward as a way to address a number of issues in medicine regarding customization. Essentially, it involves bioinks which have stem cells that are then deposited layer by layer to create skin, tissue, or as we see in this case an organ. Along with other advancements in medical 3D printing, the ability to customize the object to the needs of the patient are seen as one of the biggest advantages of the method.