Page 159 - IJB-9-6

International

Journal of Bioprinting

REVIEW ARTICLE
Advances of 3D printing in gastroenterology and

where it might be going

Yuhang Zhang , Liuxiang Chen , and Bing Hu*
†
†
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University,
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in 3D bioprinting based on lab-on-a-chip platforms for
precision oncology)

Abstract

Gastrointestinal (GI) system comprises a great number of organs and tissues of
various functions, both hollow and solid. However, it is still a less well-developed area
for three-dimensional (3D) printing (3DP) applications compared to orthopedics.
Clinical applications of 3DP in the GI system are presently restricted to preoperative
planning, surgical guidance, and education for students, residents, and patients,
either for laparoscopy or endoscopy. Several surgery-related accessories have
been designed to facilitate surgical procedures. The results are promising but not
adequately proven due to a lack of reasonable study design and proper comparisons.
Other important requirements for GI systems in clinical scenarios are structural
reconstruction, replacement, defect repair, drug screening, and delivery. Many
3D-printed decellularized, cell-seeded, or even bioprinted scaffolds have been
studied; however, most studies were conducted on small animal or in vitro models.
Although encouraging results have been obtained, there is still a long way to go before
products compatible with humans in size, histology, and functions can be printed. The
† These authors contributed equally key points to achieving this goal are the printing material, cell type and source, and
to this work.
printing technology. The ultimate goal is to print tissue and organ substitutes with
*Corresponding author: physiological functions for clinical purposes in both time- and cost-effective ways.
Bing Hu (hubingnj@163.com)
Citation: Zhang Y, Chen L, Hu B,
2023, Advances of 3D printing in Keywords: 3D printing; Bioprinting; Gastroenterology; Surgery; Endoscopy
gastroenterology and where it might
be going. Int J Bioprint, 9(6): 0149.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.0149
Received: April 29, 2023 1. Introduction
Accepted: June 1, 2023
Published Online: July 17, 2023 Three-dimensional (3D) printing (3DP) has evolved since Bill Master introduced
the concept in 1984 , and it has been popular in various fields, such as industry,
[1]
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s).
This is an Open Access article architecture, education, and medicine. In medical areas, 3DP is predominantly used in
distributed under the terms of the orthopedics, maxillofacial surgery, stomatology, and cranial and spinal surgery, where
Creative Commons Attribution tissues and organs are solid and non-deformable on radiological images. Most articles
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, recognized the positive role of 3DP in reducing operational time, decreasing radiation,
provided the original work is and improving outcomes . 3DP is also particularly useful in producing patient-specific
[2]
properly cited. implantable objects , and it is particularly true in bone grafts . In comparison, the
[4]
[3]
Publisher’s Note: AccScience gastrointestinal system is less well-explored, perhaps due to there being multiple organs
Publishing remains neutral with and tissues involved and their complex anatomical relationships. They are different
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional from solid organs as they are soft and deformable, with peristaltic ability and complex
affiliations. interactions with host microbiomes.

Volume 9 Issue 6 (2023) 151 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.0149