One morning, someone at Wake Forest looked at a 3D printer and thought, “I wonder if instead of printing plastic, let’s print a pancreas.” Already. For the first time in history, researchers have successfully printed fully functional human Islets of Langerhans, also known as “pancreatic islets,” using a bioink made of pancreatic tissue and seaweed. The structures survive for three weeks, respond to blood sugar levels, and could be implanted under the skin with just a local anesthetic. Diabetes therapy will never be the same again.
The bioink that prints hope
The team led by Quentin Perrier of Wake Forest University has developed something incredible: a biological ink capable of printing living pancreatic tissue. The recipe is surprisingly simple: human pancreatic tissue stripped of its original cells, mixed with alginate extracted from seaweed. This biotech cocktail allows the real insulin-producing cells to survive the printing process and maintain their functionality.
The secret of these results is all in the porous structure that is created during printing. It is not a coincidence: that apparently random texture facilitates the passage of oxygen and nutrients, allowing the spontaneous formation of blood vessels. It is as if the device already knew how to integrate with the human body. The results have been presented at the congress of the European Society for Organ Transplantation in London, confirming that 90% of cells print.
Goodbye invasive surgery for diabetes therapy?
Until now, pancreatic islet transplants required complex interventions through the portal vein of the liver. A procedure that leads to the loss of about half of the transplanted cells in the first few days, forcing patients to undergo multiple transplants. 3D printing changes everything: devices can be implanted directly under the skin through a small incision under local anesthesia.
Think about it: instead of major surgery, a few minutes in the office would be enough. Adam Feinberg of Carnegie Mellon University, who works on a similar technology, confirms the importance of this simplicity: “The higher the density of the islands, the smaller the device to be implanted”. His technique, presented in Italy, has already demonstrated normal glycemic control for six months in diabetic mice.
Stem cells come into play
The researchers use microscopic “gas vesicles” that change contrast as the gel solidifies, allowing doctors to see in real time whether the process is working. It’s like having a built-in monitoring system that ensures the implant is successful. As I told you in this article, medical 3D printing is experiencing a creative explosion. From blood vessels to pancreatic islets, we are witnessing the birth of medicine that builds rather than simply repairs.
Research confirms that the stem cell approach is giving extraordinary results. Out of 12 patients treated with zimislecel, 10 achieved insulin independence after one year. Diabetes therapy is moving toward solutions that restore the original function rather than artificially replacing it.
Lorenzo Piedmont of San Raffaele in Milan, the study’s principal investigator, emphasizes a crucial aspect: “Cells can be produced in theoretically unlimited quantities at the desired times and in the desired ways.” This solves the chronic problem of donor shortages that has always limited traditional transplants.
Diabetes Therapy, The Needle-Free Future
Both research groups agree: stem cells are the future of diabetes therapy. Using stem cells instead of donor tissue would simultaneously solve the problems of availability, compatibility and immune responses. We are talking about an industrial production of personalized solutions.
There is still a long way to go, but the signs are clear. Between preclinical tests on animals and process optimization, it could take a few more years before we see these devices in hospitals. However, for the first time in the history of type 1 diabetes, the horizon shows a real alternative to daily injections.
Diabetes therapy is about to enter a new era. An era where instead of managing the disease, we might just fix it. With a printer, some bioink, and a lot of science.
