In Russia, new medicines will be tested on printed biotissues

Testing of new drugs and materials for implants will take place on tissues printed on a 3D bioprinter, instead of animals. This will shorten the period of drug development, the press service of Tomsk State University (TSU) told TASS on Wednesday.

"The tissues recreated on a 3D bioprinter will have several types of cells with different densities, as well as with key architectural features. This will make it possible to conduct research on the effects of diseases on the body, as well as to work out different methods of treatment. In particular, scientists will be able to test new drugs, excluding from clinical trials such a link as research involving laboratory animals, which will significantly accelerate the process of bringing new drugs to patients," the report says.

In particular, the device will be used by scientists who fundamentally study the process of tumor development and are looking for new treatment methods that not only prolong the life of cancer patients, but also rid them of dangerous pathology. It is also planned to print living tissues in order to test materials developed by TSU scientists for reconstructive surgery in order to achieve maximum biocompatibility of implants with human tissues.

It is clarified that the university has purchased new equipment - a 3D bioprinter, an incubator for growing cells, an amplifier, a cell counter, a spectrophotometer and others. It will be used within the framework of the advanced engineering school "Agrobiotech" TSU to develop new solutions and train specialists in the field of biotechology.

In addition, together with colleagues from the Siberian Medical State University, it is planned to develop technologies for editing innate immunity in order to prevent the formation of metastases. This large-scale project in the field of genetics was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.