Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2025
12:07
Three-dimensional Biomimetic Technology: Novel Biorubber Creates Defined Micro- and Macro-scale Architectures in Collagen Hydrogels
Published on: February 12, 2016
9.3K
3D biofabrication and space: A 'far-fetched dream' or a 'forthcoming reality'?
Nilotpal Majumder1, Sourabh Ghosh1
1Regenerative Engineering Laboratory, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
Biotechnology Advances
|October 20, 2023
Summary
Space missions pose health risks due to zero gravity and radiation. Tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting offer potential solutions for in-flight regenerative therapy and healing chronic health emergencies.
Area of Science:
- Space Medicine
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Long-duration space missions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) expose astronauts to microgravity and cosmic radiation, leading to significant health issues.
- Current medical care options for spaceflight injuries are limited to surgery or immediate return to Earth, highlighting the need for advanced onboard solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the application of tissue-engineered equivalents for in-flight regenerative therapy.
- To explore the potential of 3D bioprinting technology to enhance the clinical use of tissue equivalents in space.
- To discuss the influence of weightlessness on cellular signaling pathways involved in tissue development.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on tissue engineering and microgravity simulation.
- Analysis of 3D bioprinting technologies for creating human tissue constructs.
- Discussion of cellular signaling pathways affected by space-like conditions.
Main Results:
- Tissue-engineered equivalents matured in simulated microgravity show promise for regenerative applications.
- 3D bioprinting, combined with biomaterials, can significantly improve the clinical applicability of these tissue constructs.
- Weightlessness conditions modulate cellular signaling pathways crucial for tissue morphogenesis.
Conclusions:
- 3D biofabrication presents a viable strategy for addressing on-flight healthcare challenges during space missions.
- Space-like conditions can be leveraged to generate advanced 3D bioprinted human tissue constructs for drug screening and regenerative therapies.
