Creating blood vessel structures using air in 3D printing
Official title: 3D Printing of Air: An Intangible Ink for Fabrication of Vascularized Tissues
Funded at Pennsylvania State University, the · NIH-11135394 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring a new way to use air in 3D printing to create better tissues for organ transplants and healing, which could help patients get improved treatments without harmful leftovers from traditional methods.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State University, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (University Park, United States) |
| Project start | July 9, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $572,191 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB036245-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11135394 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals with conditions requiring tissue regeneration or organ transplants, particularly those affected by vascular diseases.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions that do not involve tissue or organ damage may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a novel 3D printing technology that uses air as an intangible ink to create vascularized tissues. By utilizing the compressibility of air within yield-stress gels, the project aims to generate stable open-channel networks in a single step, significantly improving the speed and efficiency of tissue fabrication. This approach addresses the current limitations of traditional sacrificial inks, which often leave harmful residues and require extensive post-processing. Patients may benefit from advancements in tissue engineering that could lead to better organ transplants and regenerative therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective and faster methods for creating vascularized tissues, improving outcomes for patients needing organ transplants or tissue regeneration.
How similar studies have gone: While 3D bioprinting has shown promise in tissue engineering, the specific approach of using air as an ink is novel and has not been extensively tested in prior studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Pennsylvania State University, the
University Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ozbolat, Ibrahim — Pennsylvania State University, the
- Study coordinator: Ozbolat, Ibrahim
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.