Research at REIMAGINE
- Transplant Revitalization Laboratory
- Pilot Grant Program
- Bioprinting 3D Livers
Bioprinting 3D Livers
About the Project
Liver failure is one of the most serious and deadly medical conditions, claiming thousands of lives each year as patients in the United States wait for a donor organ. This project, funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), aims to change that by developing a fully functional, patient-specific, 3D bioprinted liver.
Shaochen Chen, PhD, a professor in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, leads this project alongside a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including liver surgery specialists.
Co-Investigator Gabriel Schnickel, MD, MPH
“For decades, the transplant community has dreamed of a future where the fate of thousands of patients each year is no longer determined by the scarcity of donor organs," says Schnickel. "This work has the potential to fundamentally change countless lives by moving that vision from aspiration to reality."
Project Goals
- Provide an on-demand source of functional liver tissue for transplantation
- Reduce healthcare costs
- Improve long-term outcomes for patients with chronic liver disease
