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t m c » p u l s e | j u n e 2 0 1 9 22 The team decided to create a prototype of that size to focus on the smallest functional microtissue architecture that repeats its pattern throughout the tissue. "If we could study a distal lung subunit and make that very effi- cient—if we build more and more of them into a 3D gel volume in a way that they can be interconnected and plumbed correctly—then that could allow us to build functional mimics of human lung tissue," Miller said. The proof-of-principle model made the cover of Science magazine on May 3. Bioprinting fully functioning human organs has been a goal for bioengineers since the advent of 3D printing. Success would help to address the organ donation shortage in the United States. As of January 2019, the national transplant waiting list contained more than 113,000 names, according to the U.S. Government Information on Organ Donation and Transplantation. Only 58 percent of adults are regis- tered donors. This new technology could allow doctors to bioprint replacement tissue and organs using a patient's own cells. "In the shorter term, we defi- nitely need a lot more people to register to be organ donors. This is a continued need in the medical space. Organ transplant is still the best and, in some cases, the only treatment for some conditions," *First-time visitors and local residents only. Certain restrictions apply. $28 minimum value. At participating studios only. Orangetheory® and other Orangetheory® marks are registered trademarks of Ultimate Fitness Group LLC. © Copyright 2018 Ultimate Fitness Group LLC and its affi liates. TRY IT FOR FREE* ORANGETHEORY.COM Visit one of three nearby OTF Houston studios: West University, Bellaire, Midtown, TX 77005 832.939.9130 GUESSING DOESN'T LEAD TO GREATNESS. CONNECT YOUR HEART TO YOUR WORKOUT. CONNECT YOUR HEART TO YOUR WORKOUT. SHOW THE FRONT DESK YOUR MEDICAL BADGE TO RECEIVE A CORPORATE RATE ON MEMBERSHIP. What we're trying to do is build living tissues that can replicate some of the architecture that we observe in the body. — JORDAN MILLER, PH.D. Assistant professor of bioengineering, founder of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute at Rice University A U.S. penny is shown next to a scale model of a lung-mimicking air sac with airways and blood vessels. Credit: Brandon Martin/Rice University Miller said. "As we look longer term, we're very excited about the potential for building human tissue replacement made from [a patient's] own cells." Miller believes 3D bioprinting will play an integral role in medicine over the next 20 years. Although it will still be several years before doctors implant a bioprinted organ in a patient, the team has made the technology available to help other researchers. "We've used a lot of open- source technologies to further our work and we're contributing back to the open-source community the designs of our 3D printer and all the designs of our hydrogels that we fabricated in this work," Miller said. "We're very excited to see other people try to pick up this technology and hope these vascular architectures could be useful for other people in their research."

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