Scientists create "transparent" mice

Led by researcher Ali Erturk at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, a technique using solvents to make organs such as the brain and kidneys transparent is being developed.

Scientists have successfully made a mouse "transparent".

These organs were then scanned with a laser in a microscope that allowed researchers to capture the entire structure, including blood vessels and every cell in its specific location.

Using this blueprint, the researchers printed out a “map” of the organ. They then loaded it into a 3D printer with stem cells that acted as “ink” and injected them into the right places to make the organ function.

3D printing is already widely used to produce spare parts for many industries, so Erturk said this development marks a step forward for 3D printing in the medical field.

Until now, 3D printed organs lack detailed cellular structures because they rely on images from CT scans or MRI machines.

“We can see where every single cell is in transparent human organs,” Erturk says. “And then we can actually replicate it exactly, using 3D bioprinting to create a real functional organ. So I believe we will create an organ that is exactly like a real human for the first time.”

Erturk's team plans to start by creating a printed pancreas within the next two to three years and also hopes to grow a kidney within the next five to six years.

Researchers will also first test to see if animals can survive with the imprinted organs and could begin clinical trials within 5-10 years.