Prellis Biologics, a human tissue engineering startup is granted funding to create human organs with 3D Printing.
With this investment of True Ventures, Prellis Biologics aims to eliminate wait list for organ transplants and further drug development. In order to achieve that, the San Francisco-startup will create viable lab-grown human tissue using 3D printing.
Founded by Melanie Matheu and Noelle Mullin, both scientists offer through the capacity to print microvasculature a solution to the production of functional human tissue. Indeed, they explain that without the complex microvascular system needed to supply nutrients and oxygen to cells, an organ cannot survive.
The truth is, current methods for printing human tissue encounter other difficulties. Without microvasculature, cells can’t get neither oxygen nor nutrients, therefore can’t remove wastes.
“Our vision is to create a company that uses technology to print any type of human organ, providing people with a long-lasting solution to a given medical issue,” said Dr. Melanie Matheu, co-founder and chief executive officer of Prellis. “We believe our technology will jumpstart the practical use of lab-printed tissue for life-saving drug development, rapid development of human antibodies, and production of human organs for transplant.”
“Over 230 people die every day in the U.S. from liver and kidney disease,”* said Dr. Noelle Mullin, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Prellis. “By coupling stem cell and immunology expertise with our 3D printing technology, we’ll be able to produce organs and tissues with the precise vascular infrastructure necessary to make them viable.”
How to enter the market
Prellis plans numerous phases’ market entrance. Experts will use the first lab-grown tissues to create antibodies for therapeutics. They will also tackle the issue associated with pharmaceutical development and testing.
For now, drug companies must test new drugs using animal models that do not accurately predict toxicity or efficacy in humans, and human clinical trials can be both time-consuming and harmful to patients.
The first human tissue Prellis Biologics will print for clinical development are islets of langerhans, the functional unit of the pancreas that produces insulin.
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