Lithuanian startup Vital3D aims to 3D print kidneys using its bioprinting technology called FemtoBrush. The company’s system uses lasers to deposit living cells and biomaterials in 3D patterns, creating functional and reproducible tissue constructs. The goal is to bridge the growing gap between organ demand and supply, especially for kidneys. In the US alone, over 90,000 people are on the kidney transplant waiting list, while only 25,000 received a kidney transplant last year. Vital3D’s technology promises precision down to one-thousandth of a millimeter and aims to print the kidney’s vascular network within 24 hours. However, more testing and regulatory hurdles need to be overcome before the technology can be used for human transplantation. Nonetheless, progress in bioprinting organs is steadily advancing in the lab.
