Researchers demonstrate nasal cartilage creation through 3D bioprinting is possible

27 Jan 2022 --- Custom-shaped cartilage for reconstructive surgery is on the horizon, according to Canada-based researchers from the University of Alberta. They conducted a mouse study examining a way to generate custom-shaped cartilage for surgical procedures using 3D bioprinting technology.

“We hope to move forward with a first-in-human trial with 3D printed nasal cartilage in reconstructive surgery of skin cancer patients,” Dr. Adetola Adesida, director of orthopedic basic science research, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, tells PersonalCareInsights.

In discussing the impact 3D bioprinting technology will have in the surgery industry, Adesida explains: “It will be a game-changer – reducing surgical time for reconstructive surgery since the 3D printed cartilage will be customized to the contours of each patient, thereby reducing the time consuming manual carving that surgeons do in the operating theatre at the moment.”

Furthermore, the current practice is to harvest native cartilage from patients’ ribs to rebuild the nose. That is not necessary with this technology and therefore reduces donor site morbidity issues, he continues.

The research intends to make it easier for surgeons to restore the features of skin cancer patients who have nasal cartilage defects after surgery in a safe manner.According to researchers, nasal cartilage tissue engineering is achievable through 3D bioprinting.

“The patient can go on the operating table, have a small biopsy taken from their nose in about 30 minutes, and from there we can build different shapes of cartilage specifically for them,” explains Adesida.

“We can even bank the cells and use them later to build everything needed for the surgery. This is what this technology allows you to do.”

Exploring how bioprinting works
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting uses 3D printing-like procedures to produce biomedical parts using cells, growth factors, and biomaterials to mimic natural tissue features.

“It’s essentially like your typical inject jet printer with the ability to print structures after computer-generated three-dimensional models of the structures or images to be printed,” Adesida explains.

In the initial study, the researchers used a specially designed hydrogel – a material similar to Jell-O – that could be mixed with cells harvested from a patient and then printed in a specific shape captured through 3D imaging. Over weeks, the material was cultured in a lab to become functional cartilage.

Adesida continues to add that: “It takes a lifetime to make cartilage in an individual, while this method takes about four weeks. So you still expect that there will be some degree of maturity that it has to go through, especially when implanted in the body. But functionally, it’s able to do the things that cartilage does.”

Safer procedure for cancer patients
Non-melanoma skin cancer affects more than three million people in North America each year. Of those affected, 40% will have lesions on their noses, many of which may require surgery to remove.

Furthermore, many patients may have cartilage removed as part of the treatment, resulting in facial disfigurement.Lab-grown cartilage printed specifically for a cancer patient can remove the risk of lung collapse.

Traditionally, surgeons would take cartilage from one patient’s ribs and reshape it to fit reconstructive surgery’s needed size and shape. But the procedure comes with complications.

“When the surgeons restructure the nose, it is straight. But when it adapts to its new environment, it goes through a period of remodeling where it warps, almost like the curvature of the rib,” says Adesida. “Visually on the face, that’s a problem.”

“The other issue is that you’re opening the rib compartment, which protects the lungs, to restructure the nose. It’s a very vital anatomical location. The patient could have a collapsed lung and has a much higher risk of dying,” he added.

The researchers say their approach exemplifies both precision and regenerative medicine. Lung collapse, infection in the lungs, and significant scarring at the site of a patient’s ribs can all be avoided using lab-grown cartilage produced precisely for the patient.

Regarding the progress of the previous study, Adesida concludes the research team has “just completed the revised paper regarding testing the 3D printed cartilage in a mouse model to see the stability of the 3D printed nasal cartilage. The paper will be out soon.”

By Nicole Kerr