Recently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $211,000 R21 grant to engineers at the University of Texas at Arlington. The money will allow Yi Hong and his partner Guohao Dai to develop 3D printed materials to create new blood vessels for children with vascular defects. Biological 3D printing of blood vessels is a hot topic. Just last week, the author reported on a study conducted at Wayne State University where scientists developed a vascular bioprinting technique called the “ring stacking method†that can help treat heart disease. A month ago, San Diego's 3D printed blood vessels made a breakthrough. Now, it seems that it is the turn of the University of Texas at Arlington, and assistant professor of bioengineering Yi Hong has received funding from NIH to develop 3D printed blood vessels. The ongoing research work with Northeastern University researcher Guohao Dai is particularly important because it aims to develop vascular defects in children that are more difficult to treat than adults. For example, grafts are generally not available for children because they grow slower than children's bodies. This means constant changes, which require multiple surgeries. Grafts also have a high risk of thrombosis and can only be treated with anticoagulant drugs, which in turn are not suitable for children's often vibrant lifestyles. Therefore, Yi Hong and Guohao Dai are trying to develop a series of 3D printed materials that can be used to create elastic, patient-specific blood vessels that will be brought to the body, especially for a child. These materials will be mixed with human cells and 3D printed to create a catheter that can be attached to an organic blood vessel. “Our research is focused on the main technologies,†Yi Hong said. “It's unique and probably far-reaching because we're developing elastic materials for 3D printing.†Dietary supplement Fufeng Sinuote Biotechnology Co.,Ltd. , https://www.ffsinuoteplant.com
