JAYFORCE

Above: Surgeon Anthony Atala talking about the real possibility (read: eventuality) that humans will be able to manufacture replacement parts for their bodies as easily as they make parts for cars (cars have bodies, get it?). The video punctuates recent huge steps in a positive direction in the science. Consider a convo about ink refills for your laser printer so you can turn your school paper in on time. Now, swap in 3-D printer refills; and the story could very well be about getting refills to generate another organ (kidney, liver), so you can turn it… into a second chance at life!

(Imagine: Honey, I burned myself badly again. Can you pick up a couple of organ material refills. I need to print up some replacement skin. Wowww!)

How real is this? Doctors (headed by Dr. Atala) at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine announced yesterday that they’ve managed to 3D print “living” tissue and organs that functioned properly when implanted in animals. Human trials are probably not that far away.