A team of researchers at Newcastle University, with funding from Versus Arthritis, has developed a new bioprinting technology that can produce cell cultures more realistically and efficiently. The process, called Reactive Jet Impingement (ReJI), enables the targeted combination of two fluids that react in air to form a cell-filled hydrogel structure. This creates a tissue that better replicates the three-dimensional structure of human cells than previous methods. Professor Kenny Dalgarno’s team has already been granted patents for this innovation in the USA and Europe.
Lucy Donaldson, director of research at Versus Arthritis which funded the research through the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Therapies Centre Versus Arthritis, said: “The JetBio team are in the vanguard of research driving forward new technologies that promise to improve both the quality and speed of drug development. These advances can potentially bring new drugs to the population sooner – and that applies to treatments for arthritis, cancer and cardiovascular disease. This is a very exciting leap forward.”
The drug development process is often based on cell cultures, which are traditionally applied in a two-dimensional environment. However, this method does not realistically replicate cell interaction in the human body. The ReJI technology developed by Jetbio, a newly founded spin-off company of the university, can arrange cells in a 3D matrix and thus create more precise test conditions. The technology increases cell density tenfold compared to existing bioprinting methods and allows faster production of cell structures. This development could significantly improve the success rate in drug testing, as only a fraction of the tested substances currently reach the clinical phase.
“Drug discovery is a complicated and extremely costly process involving multiple rounds of testing before they reach clinical trials. In clinical investigations only one in ten of compounds tested proceeds to reach market. These rates of failure make it clear that we must improve our models so that they are more representative of drug response in humans. There is currently a lot of interest in developing better human in vitro models of diseases and tissues so we have better ways of testing drugs”, explained Professor Kenny Dalgarno, of Newcastle University’s School of Engineering.
The ReJI technology could help to make drug tests more effective and less expensive. This could also have an impact on the pricing of drugs and improve their availability.
“There was a real buzz around our technology and the potential it holds” said Professor Dalgarno of the event, who is confident its discovery could have a far-reaching impact that could be felt in real terms across the globe. He added: “Drug development is very expensive. Therefore if you can do it more effectively and cheaper then it democratises the process to a degree, as more people could then afford the drugs that did make it to market.”
In addition to pharmaceutical research, the technology also has potential for the field of regenerative medicine. The production of personalized cell cultures could, for example, improve the chances of success of cartilage transplants by providing more precise cell implants for autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). The technology is also part of the EU-funded REBORN project, which is working on an in-vitro model of heart muscle. The combination of ReJI bioprinting with other biotechnologies could open up new avenues for the treatment of heart disease.
In order to bring the technology closer to the scientific community, the bioprinters were presented in workshops at the universities of Bristol, Newcastle and Cambridge. The first devices are already being used in laboratories there. The ability to produce cell cultures faster and more precisely could have a long-term impact on the bioprinting sector and set new standards in research.
Metal Binder Jetting: The Key to Efficient Tool Manufacturing? - Exclusive Insights from INDO-MIM
Fill out the form and get instant access to an exclusive webinar on HP's Metal Binder Jetting 3D printing technology with exciting insights from INDO-MIM.Subscribe to our Newsletter
3DPresso is a weekly newsletter that links to the most exciting global stories from the 3D printing and additive manufacturing industry.
