Silk proteins allow the bioprinting of artificial tissues

A team of scientists from the Guwahati Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is advancing bioprinting in India. Apparently, they created a bioink from silk proteins that could be used for 3D printing tissues, implants and organs at unbeatable costs. These proteins imitate the biological architecture of bone cartilage and living tissue.

Bioprinting is often considered as the future of tailor-made medicine because it allows the creation of personalized cellular structures, made using the patient’s own cells. Although still in the beginning stages, bioprinting could eventually produce tailor-made organs, responding to the challenge of transplantation: we know that organ donors are far below the demands. We are not yet at the stage where we can 3D print kidneys or a heart, but the progress is encouraging.

Bioprinting enables the creation of all kinds of cellular structures | Credits: Ozbolat Lab / Penn State University

The research carried out by this team of scientists in India is unusual as it is based on silk proteins, and more particularly Muga silk. It is made by a silkworm found only in the Assam region of India – so it is a rare resource in the world but abundant for these scientists. This partly explains why they used this material rather than collagen, which is traditionally used in bioprinting processes. One of the researchers claims that 10 grams of collagen cost more than 10,000 rupees ($140) while 10 grams of silk are worth 2.