NEOLIVER: Revolutionizing Liver Transplantation with Bioprinting

NEOLIVER: Revolutionizing Liver Transplantation with Bioprinting

Despite remarkable advancements in organ transplantation, the shortage of transplantable organs remains critical. Each year, 25% of patients with end-stage liver disease on the donor waiting list tragically pass away, highlighting the urgent need for alternatives to organ donations. Bioprinting offers a groundbreaking solution, enabling the creation of organs from scratch. However, this technology faces significant technical, biological, and procedural challenges.

The NEOLIVER project aims to overcome these hurdles by developing large, dense, and vascularized bioprinted liver constructs that are fully functional and suitable for transplantation. To achieve this, we are establishing a GMP-compliant manufacturing line for standardized production, ensuring unmatched quality and safety for future patients.

By leveraging patient-derived organoids and supporting cells, including endothelial cells, we will generate millions of multicellular spheroids—the essential building blocks for bioprinting. Using laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) technology, we will precisely deposit these spheroids and vessels at high density to create vascularized liver constructs. Additionally, extrusion-based bioprinting will allow us to integrate functional blood vessels, enabling the production of the world’s first autologous bioprinted liver, ready for transplantation.

To validate safety and efficacy, these bioprinted liver constructs will be transplanted into immune-deficient pigs. Coupled with a comprehensive clinical validation plan, upscaling strategy, and Health Technology Assessment—including patient acceptance—NEOLIVER will prepare these constructs for first-in-human trials.

Through this innovative approach, NEOLIVER provides a disruptive and life-saving alternative to donor organs for patients with end-stage liver disease.

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