A team of scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi has made a breakthrough in the development of 3D bioprinted cartilage. The research team, led by Sourabh Ghosh from the Department of Textile Technology at IIT, has successfully developed a bioink that can be used to print structures like the cartilage found in human knees.

3D bioprinting is arguably one of the most promising new avenues in the medical field, which is why every breakthrough in the technology, no matter how small, is exciting to us. A recent bioprinting announcement by the IIT, not a small feat in the least, marks the first time a bioprinted tissue has been created in an India-based lab.

A new bioink developed by a team led by Professor Sourabh Ghosh contains a high concentration of bone marrow, derived from cartilage stem cells, as well as silk proteins and a few other materials. According to the research team, the 3D printable bioink was designed to not only support cell growth, but also to ensure the long-term survival of the cells.

Ghosh explained that the silk protein has different amino acids that closely resemble the amino acids present in human tissues. As recent tests showed, the 3D bioprinted cartilage was able to remain physically stable for a period of up to six weeks. But there is still some work to be done before anyone will reap the benefits of the 3D printed cartilage cells.

The IIT’s 3D bio printing technology could, however, offer an alternative to this, as the team has figured out a way to transform the cartilage stem cells in the bioink into chondrocyte-like cells, which are cells that produce and maintain the extracellular matrix of cartilage.