Israeli Biotech Firm Trying To Print Organs For Transplants
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Israeli biotech firm CollPlant is trying to patent a technology that that could eventually lead to the three-dimensional printing of hearts, kidneys and other vital human tissues.
CollPlant, based in Ness Ziona, has filed a patent application in the United States for its “bio-ink” – made of a proprietary plant product that mimics the qualities of collagen, a protein responsible for the elasticity of human skin and other organs.
Combined with other hormones and existing human cells, the bio-ink could eventually be used to create organs for those in need – easing pressure on the transplant process, which for the most part relies on harvested organs from the deceased.
“We are promoting commercial collaborations with leading international companies in the field of 3D bio-printing of tissue and organ, with the aim of taking part in providing a solution to the significant need for life saving organs,” Yehiel Tal, CEO of CollPlant, told the Jerusalem Post.
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon
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