By Kerry McDermott
Daily Mail
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Scientists working towards developing laboratory-grown livers for transplant have managed to create mini versions of the organ using a 3D printer.
Just half a millimetre deep and four millimetres wide, the tiny livers are capable of performing many critical functions of the real thing; including producing proteins responsible for ferrying hormones, salt and drugs around the body.
California-based bio-printing pioneers Organovo created the mini organs by using the machine to build up around 20 layers of liver cells - along with cells from the lining of blood vessels to nourish the liver cells with nutrients and oxygen.
Full story: Amazing ‘mini livers’ created with 3D PRINTER could lead to human-sized organs for transplant patients