3D打印实现医学重大突破

Printing a New Heart

心脏病是如今全球的头号杀手之一。许多心脏病患者都需要接受心脏移植。然而，病患们很难找到合适的心源，就算真的遇上了，身体也经常会对移植的心脏产生排斥反应。

但如今，心脏病患者有了新希望。据《尖端科学》刊登的一项研究表明，来自以色列特拉维夫大学的研究人员于近日3D打印出了一颗人类心脏。“这是人类首次成功设计并打印出一颗完整的心脏。”塔尔·德维尔在接受采访时表示。

这颗心脏具备细胞、血管、心室以及其他心脏正常运作所需的结构。但科学家们仍需进行进一步的研究，才能将这颗3D打印心脏放入人体。一方面，这颗实验心脏只有拇指大小。另一方面，尽管它能像肌肉一样收缩，但却不能像真正的心脏那样具备泵血功能。目前来看，这颗心脏样品就像一架设备齐全、却还不能起飞的小飞机。但这次的研制成果依然被视为医学界的一项重大突破。

在实验过程中，研究人员用干细胞技术将人类脂肪组织转变为人类心脏组织。该组织将作为3D打印机的“生物墨水”，确保心脏中的组织来自患者本人。因此，在理想情况下，如果这颗心脏被放入需要进行移植的患者体内，产生器官排斥反应的风险将会降低。

“患者们无须等待移植，或者吃药预防排斥反应，”研究人员们在接受采访时表示，“所需的心脏将被打印出来，完全为每位患者量身定制。”

而科学家们认为，3D打印也能被用于打印其他人体器官。他们预见有朝一日3D打印器官将会成为日常医疗实践。“或许10年内，全球最好的医院内都会配备器官打印机，而这些操作将会十分常见。”德维尔表示。(孙晔供稿）

以色列的研究人员于近日3D打印出了一颗人类心脏

Heart disease is one of the major killers in the world today. Many who suffer from it must have hearttransplants. However, it's difficult to get a suitable heart donation, and even if a patient survives the wait, his or her body often rejects the heart.

But there is now new hope for sufferers of heart disease. According to a study published in thejournal Advanced Science, researchers from Israel's Tel Aviv University printed a 3D human heart recently. “This is the first time anyone anywhere has successfully engineered and printed an entire heart, ” professor Tal Dvir said.

The new heart is complete with cells, blood vessels, chambers and other structures a heart needs to function normally. But scientists still have more to figure out before the 3D-printed heart can be fitted into the body. For one thing, the experimental heart is only the size of a thumb.And, although it can contract like a muscle, it cannot pump out blood like a real one. At present, the heart prototype is like a tiny airplane that has all of the right parts, but can't fly.However, the development is still regarded as a major breakthrough in medicine.

In the experiment, the researchers turned human fat tissue into human heart tissue with stem celltechnology. The tissue was then turned into “bio-ink” for a 3D printer to ensure that tissue in the heart came from the patients themselves. So ideally, if it were to be placed in the body of someone in need of a transplant, there would be less risk of organ rejection.

“Patients will no longer have to wait for transplants or take medications to prevent their rejection, ” researchers said. “Instead, the needed heart will be printed, fully personalized for every patient. ”

But the scientists think that 3D printing can be used to create other human organs. They foresee a time when the 3D printing of organs will be an everyday medical practice. “Maybe, in 10 years, there will be organ printers in the finest hospitals around the world and these procedures will be conducted routinely, ” Dvir said.