Printing A Human Kidney – A Reality Says Anthony Atala [Video]

Could you imagine a world where you would be able to grow a new organ like a kidney for example. It sounds like complete science fiction, but is on the cusp of being a science fact. It's called regenerative medicine and the notion has actually been around since the 1930's when aviator Charles Lindbergh did some research in this area to help an ailing sister-in-law.

Tissue engineering is actually going on right now and in the lab, they have been able to grow skin, cartilage, bladders, urine tubes and blood vessels outside the human body. Some of these organs have actually been implanted in a small group of patients through clinical trials.

Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University recently gave a talk about some of the work going on right now like, the ability to engineer a human kidney using a 3-D printer technology that is already being used in some industries from auto parts to concrete structures.

The idea is to use that 3-D printer technology to engineer human organs and they are well on their way. Watch Atala's talk below which is about 16 minutes long, but is absolutely fascinating.

[Huffington Post]