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Bioprinting an Artificial Pancreas for Type 1 Diabetes

  • Immunology, Transplantation, and Regenerative Medicine (L Piemonti and V Sordi, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Pancreatic islet cell transplantation is currently the only curative cell therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, its potential to treat many more patients is limited by several challenges. The emergence of 3D bioprinting technology from recent advances in 3D printing, biomaterials, and cell biology has provided the means to overcome these challenges.

Recent Findings

3D bioprinting allows for the precise fabrication of complex 3D architectures containing spatially distributed cells, biomaterials (bioink), and bioactive factors. Different strategies to capitalize on this ability have been investigated for the 3D bioprinting of pancreatic islets. In particular, with co-axial bioprinting technology, the co-printability of islets with supporting cells such as endothelial progenitor cells and regulatory T cells, which have been shown to accelerate revascularization of islets and improve the outcome of various transplantations, respectively, has been achieved.

Summary

3D bioprinting of islets for generation of an artificial pancreas is a newly emerging field of study with a vast potential to improve islet transplantation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia

    Juewan Kim

  2. Discipline of Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia

    Kyungwon Kang, Christopher J. Drogemuller & P. Toby Coates

  3. Central Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplantation Service (CNARTS), The Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia

    Christopher J. Drogemuller & P. Toby Coates

  4. Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterial Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia

    Gordon G. Wallace

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Kim, J., Kang, K., Drogemuller, C.J. et al. Bioprinting an Artificial Pancreas for Type 1 Diabetes. Curr Diab Rep 19, 53 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-019-1166-x

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