Organ failure is the ultimate cause of almost every death, and while organ transplantation can be a successful option, the need for organs significantly outweighs the supply. For the past 50 years or so, efforts have been focused on immunosuppression strategies and the development of mechanical devices capable of mimicking the function of biological organs and processes. However, even when available, these solutions aren’t permanent or without the risk of complication. Now there’s a new solution in the works, one with a lot more promise: bioengineered organs.

As an associate professor and member of both the Next Manufacturing Center and Bioengineered Organs Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, Adam W. Feinberg joins the podcast to discuss how living cells and tissue components can be designed for implantation into the human body, allowing for tissue regeneration with the use of the body’s own cells. Though it’ll still take years to get there, the grand vision is to 3D bioprint partial or entire organs for transplant, which is a technology that’s recently received funding from the FDA.

Tune in to learn more about the current projects Dr. Feinberg and his team are working on, the successes they’ve already had, and the challenges they plan to overcome. Keep up to date on the latest developments at regenerativebiomaterials.com and engineering.cmu.edu/organs/index.html.

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