Poly-Pico prints a pound of flesh

Poly-Pico, a spin-out of Limerick University, and the Regenerative Medicine Institute at National University of Ireland, Galway have partnered up to print human tissue.

Galway’s proof-of-concept trial with Poly-Pico’s technology proved that the researchers could take the spin-out’s cartridges, fill them with a stem cell mixture and use sound waves to make sure no more than a single stem cell is dispensed at a time. The experiment, which focused on the feasibility of a pancreas transplant, was able to demonstrate how the process could eventually be used to print human tissue and indeed grow it to a viable transplant.

Poly-Pico’s technology is based around Pico Spotter, its lead product which uses cheap disposable cartridges that are both a non-contact system and prevent cross-contamination of biomaterials and non-biomaterials. It lets researchers handle small quantities of fluid in a highly precise manner – the nozzle is in fact so small that a human hair could not pass through it. The technology is patented.

Separating individual stem cells has been very costly up until now, and traditionally has taken several hours to achieve. Poly-Pico and NUI Galway achieved the results within minutes.

Frank Barry, professor of cellular therapy and scientific director at the institute, said: “Now imagine that we have five dispensing cartridges, each containing a different type of programmed stem cell. In principle we could essentially print them on to a surface and, by repeating the process a few thousands of times, obtain a mixture of growing cells and eventually a healthy pancreatic islet. … It is a futuristic prospect, but it is not science fiction. We are talking five years down the line for potential clinical trials.”