Organovo entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement with L’Oreal USA Products, agreeing to collaborate on the development of skin tissue models utilizing the Organovo's proprietary NovoGen Bioprinting Platform and skin cell technology developed by L’Oreal. 

Keith Murphy, CEO of Organovo, stated that his company will be able to 3D print partial organs within the next 4-6 years. These partial organs could be used to repair damaged organs, such as the liver, providing valuable time to patients as they await a full transplant.

Rokit, a South Korean 3D printer manufacturer announced a $3 million government grant for the development of bioprinting technology. 

Avita Medical, regenerative medicine company specialising in the treatment of wounds and skin defects, has disclosed that it will work on using it's ReGenerCell device for Diabetic foot ulcer after it's success for venous leg ulcers. This device uses patient’s own skin cells to wound to trigger healing process, being futher developed at Manchester Royal Infirmary, U.K.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Janssen Research and Development have announced to launch a challenge competition worth £343k prize and an entrance to J&J Innovation, JLABS community. World Without Disease QuickFire challenge invites to find disease solutions from across the pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer sectors, where winner be selected after their solution tops four of the criteria.

Stereolithographic (SLA)3D Printers have been used by UCL School of Pharmacy and FabRx Ltd researchers to develop anti-acne masks which can deliver the topical salicylate for acne. Using 3D scanner to print nose, and then creating 3d print, this face mask will load salicylic acid topically, providing patients with quick and affordable treatment for acne.

SkinResQU, Centre for skin research at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers, is planning to 3D Print human skin with purpose of transplants and testing medical treatments. Since the prohibition of animal skin, it is difficult for clinical trials and donated skin parts aren't sufficient, 3D Printed Skin appears to be the perfect solution.

Gary Chang & Michael Lu, the FAM technology developers from Stanford have developed an IV Injection Trainer based on cutting edge 3D printing FAM technology. It was presented at recently held CES Asia conference in Shanghai and now has been extended for clinical use to medical students offering a human-like touch with its silicone pad and more durablibility. It can be easily customized as per preferred hardness, skin color, vein diameter & depth.

Professor Wu Jun, director of the Burns Institute at the Southwest Hospital in Chongqing and his fellow researchers are working on 3D Printed Custom Skin to match the wounds of burn victims. Currently experimenting with pig skin, he stated that in printing skin, the biggest challenge is the ink and the process is expected to be finalized within two to three years. With 3D Printed Custom Skin, they will be able to help patients with burns with faster recovery, reduced risk of infection and eventual scarring.

From 3D Printed Prosthetics, Super-Healing Casts, Hairs, Skin and 3D Printed Micro-Lens for surgery to Implants of almost every body part, 3D Printing is helping in medical field making everything possible for the miserable lives of patients. But what is the future of 3D Printing? One day we will be able to 3D Print entire human body from simple DNA, as some researchers have already started to work on 3D Printing Real Organs for transplants in human bodies.

3D Printed casts have appeared as one of the useful tools of the technology since the designs are lightweight and the plastic features round openings allow for more breathability. These openings make it easier for doctors to access the broken limb, as well as making daily tasks more manageable for the patient. Comparatively, 3D Printed Cast Design helped with determining skin health, and it made re-dressing wounds easier. Companies like Xkelet, based in Spain, have gained recognition for their cast whose clinical trial will be starting in September. However, their prices continue to be cause of worry.

BASF and CTIBiotech came together at the recent NYSCC Cosmetic Congress where they formed a collaboration to work towards 3D Bioprinting. Now, they have announced the technology for the bioprinting of tissue to create sebaceous glands which is expected to be a boon for Skin Care Industry. The research resulted in Ex-vivo production of physiological sebum and Regulation of sebum production with active ingredients.

Researchers at A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP) at Nanyang Technological University have developed a way to create pigmentation in 3D printed skin by using bioprinting to control the distribution of melanin-producing skin cells, on a biomimetic tissue substrate. They used three different types of skin cells and drop on demand method of bioprinting to create the pigmented skin.

Under a thesis by a student named Cristian Ghibaudo, 3D bioprinting was discussed regarding the better wound treatments under Onskin project based on microfibrillar cellulose, or MFC, and sustainable materials. The concept was developed in four modules: the moisturizing module (M1), the absorbent module (M2), the barrier module (M3) and the support module (M4). Using BioX 3D Printers, several wound dressing prototypes were 3D printed out of which the Flat prototype was selected concluding it had good mechanical properties and high resolution, plus it printed in only 30 minutes.

Politecnico di Torino student, Viola Sgarminato in his thesis, used a combination of electrospinning and 3D printing with an EnvisionTEC 3D-Bioplotter to develop scaffolds that would promote healing by electrically stimulating skin cells. These wound repairing and dressing scaffolds were then seeded with cells, which were then evaluated 24 and 72 hours later. The composite wound dressings were also examined using a scanning electron microscope to verify the adhesion of the fibers to the scaffold, and good results were shown: even if subjected to mechanical stretching, the fibers remained attached to the substrate.

A team from Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) has successfully developed Mobile Skin Bioprinting System that provides rapid on-site management of full-thickness wounds using 3D Printing, however waiting human trials. It consists of a hand-held 3D scanner and a printing head with an XYZ movement system containing eight 260 µm diameter nozzles, each driven by an independent dispensing motor with a ZScanner Z700 scanner. It 3D prints directly on the wound a double layered skin substitute consisting dermal fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes cells that exactly match the patient’s wound.

A Team of Researchers at the University of Toronto (UoT) and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre unveiled a handheld 3D Skin Printer that dispenses Bioink composed of Mesenchymal Stromal cells to place skin over Severe Burns and during Surgeries. It can also cover Split Thickness Burns, and the current prototype includes a single-use microfluidic printhead to ensure sterilization and a soft wheel that follows the track of the printhead, allowing for better control for wider wounds. Enzymatically and thermally gelled fibrin and collagen biomaterials are used to finish up the Skin 3D Printing and Layering.

A team of Researchers in Costa Rica worked on a 3D Printed Medical Device that can be used to Suture skin uniformly and quickly with the scar left behind being aesthetically acceptable. The Class 2 FDA Electronic Medical Device was created using SOLIDWORKS Software based on three functions: Stabilize the skin, Rotate the needle on its axis to join tissue sections and Initiate and finish with the least possible amount of user interference. The first prototype was 3D Printed using Polyjet technology and AISI 316L alloy. Upon further surveys, they modified the final prototype to “improve its ergonomic factor” by adding a holder at the top of the shell for more stability and easier manipulation.