First 3D bioprinted placenta model for study of preeclampsia created
Scientists at the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National, in partnership with the University of Maryland, are the first to create a 3D bioprinted placenta model and use it to study preeclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy complication. Bioprinting is the three-dimensional printing of biological tissue and organs through the layering of living cells, with cell function and viability preserved within the printed structure. Because the Institute’s bioprinted placenta model mimics the organ’s complex cellular structure, the model creates unprecedented opportunities to understand and develop new treatments for life-threatening maternal conditions involving the placenta.