Bone tissue engineering with 3-D printing

Traditionally, scientists studying how cancer spreads to bones relied heavily on animal testing, but researchers at the Henry Royce Institute at the University of Manchester are using 3-D printing technology to create advanced bone models in the laboratory — an approach that could significantly reduce the need for animal testing while providing more controlled and reproducible conditions for studying bone tissue.

Fatih Eroglu, a medical engineer/researcher at the Institute says our bones are complex structures with unique properties that make them particularly interesting in cancer research and studying cancer spreads to bone tissue. “Understanding these interactions traditionally required extensive animal studies, but our research is changing this paradigm by combining the precision of 3-D printing with the power of stem cells to create realistic bone models in the laboratory.

“We are essentially creating a ‘bone in a dish’ using 3-D printing technology. Think of it as building a miniature version of bone tissue where we can study cancer cell behaviour in a controlled environment. The team uses two special materials to create these cellular homes: PLGA — poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) — a biodegradable polymer material commonly used in medical applications that provides the basic structure for our bone model; and HA-PLGA, which is a combination of PLGA and hydroxyapatite, a mineral naturally found in bone. The addition of hydroxyapatite makes the material more like natural bone tissue, creating a more realistic environment for our studies.”

Standard FDM 3-D printer
Mr Eroglu said this research is particularly exciting because it uses a basic 3-D printing technology, whereas traditional tissue engineering typically relies on specialised bioprinters like the Cellink BIO X6 (up to £160,000) or the RegenHu R-GEN 200 (up to £200,000). “Our research is achieving successful results using a standard FDM (fused deposition modelling) printer with the same type of technology used in common desktop 3-D printers that cost just £300-£1,000.

“This dramatic reduction in equipment costs could democratise tissue engineering research, making it accessible to more laboratories worldwide. By showing that effective scaffolds can be created using these lower-cost methods, we are opening doors for researchers who previously could not afford the costly bioprinting equipment traditionally required in this field.

“The real magic happens when stem cells called bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are introduced to these 3D-printed scaffolds. These can transform into various cell types, including bone cells. Indeed, they are like nature’s own construction workers, capable of building new tissue when given the right environment.

He concluded: “Our early results show that the cells are not just surviving but creating a realistic bone-like environment that we can use for studying cancer metastasis . . . We are not just building scaffolds but creating new ways to study disease and test treatments that could reduce animal testing while accelerating research progress.”