# Print me a new kidney, please

December 9, 2009

3D Bioprinting new blood vessels or even organs may be possible in the future. A first step has been taken with the [first commercial bioprinter, by Organovo](http://singularityhub.com/2009/12/03/organovo-has-its-first-commercial-3d-bioprinter/). It currently prints cell structures but nobody has dared to put them in their bodies yet. So while this looks like a promising development, I’d take good care of your body just a little longer – say, 30 years or so?

## Comments

- **Michael Williams**  
  [December 9, 2009 at 6:58 pm](/content/blog/print-me-a-new-kidney-please#comment-1885/index.html)  
  When will Angelina be able to print her own Ethiopian baby? On a more serious note, Kidneys can be transplanted. I’d be more impressed if they could print spinal cord material.

- **Kristopher Reed**  
  [December 10, 2009 at 4:36 am](/content/blog/print-me-a-new-kidney-please#comment-1886/index.html)  
  The real question is when will Shapeways be offering this as a material option. I think it would help me with designing my robotic implants.

- **Nick Taylor**  
  [December 11, 2009 at 3:04 am](/content/blog/print-me-a-new-kidney-please#comment-1889/index.html)  
  If I had one of these I think I’d use it to print a brain. A back-up brain… a smaller one (it’s amazing what they can do these days, and apparently I only use about 10% of my brain anyway)… a smaller one, but one that’s still hosted in my own body – with some sort of wire connecting them so I’m actually thinking with both of them at the same time.

- **David Drummond**  
  [December 12, 2009 at 2:55 am](/content/blog/print-me-a-new-kidney-please#comment-1890/index.html)  
  Print me a new liver, please.

- **Shapeways Blog**  
  [July 3, 2012 at 7:23 pm](/content/blog/print-me-a-new-kidney-please#comment-6665/index.html)  
  Researchers at University of Pennsylvania have announced a breakthrough in 3D Printing human organs, as they demonstrated how to generate blood vessels to give life to the surrounding tissue. Most previous examples of bioprinting had been limited.