— What research work is conducted at NUST MISIS?
The institution pursues multiple pathways. Current emphasis centers on bioprinting, tissue engineering, and implants designed for both hard and soft tissues.
For instance, ear implants have been developed for individuals with ear injuries. These devices are produced through bioprinting, which combines 3D printing with living cells. The frame is crafted to mimic external appearance while preserving the biomechanics of elastic cartilage. This ensures flexibility and supports tissue regeneration, with natural tissue replacement anticipated over time.
Another major focus is advancing bioprinting methods. The team collaborates with the Russian firm 3D Bioprinting Solutions. Traditional 3D printing builds objects layer by layer, capable of producing structures as varied as a house or a bone implant. Bioprinting, in contrast, requires a cellular component, and the program aims to pioneer two new directions.
The first direction is in situ bioprinting, which means printing directly inside the patient. When there is a skin wound, burn, or tissue defect needing regeneration, a robotic arm can close the gap right on the patient. A key challenge is enabling the on site bioprinter to work on curved surfaces, such as a patient’s abdomen, and to respond to feedback so that it does not injure the patient if they jerk or take a breath. In animal studies, this method has taken about 20 to 30 minutes. So far it has been primarily applied to skin; printing thicker organs will be considerably more difficult.
The second area explores printing in diverse physical spaces. The question is whether an organ could be created from multiple directions simultaneously, with cells converging to a single point to form an organ. This could be achieved through magnetic forces that lift cells into the air and guide their assembly into a future organ.
Intuitively, people often ask whether these implants are truly alive because they contain living material. Any product carrying living cells or tissue spheroids can be described as alive in a practical sense, but these implants blend living components with nonliving materials to form functional constructs.
In addition, the center develops bone implants and is expanding into neuroprosthetics under the Priority 2030 program. The goal is to create devices that address spinal cord injury and peripheral nerve damage.
— What exactly are the neuroprostheses, and do they involve artificial neurons?
Visionary thinking sees a nerve as a long strand that can tear in an injury. The aim is to fabricate a cylindrical connector that remains electrically conductive and contains cells with specialized proteins. For spine surgery, the implant must guide nerve tissue growth in a directed way to restore function and support healing after spinal cord injury. The concept involves soft plates made from a silicone-like polymer with grooves that steer nerve growth.
Although promising, these implants are still in early development. The aspiration is for them to restore motor activity in people with back injuries fully or at least partially.
— What challenges arise when printing organs of increasing complexity?
Printing large, fully functional organs is a long process, and no one has yet produced large organs with full functionality. Achieving organ function requires many internal processes to work together harmoniously. Printing defects become more likely as size increases, which can compromise performance. Another difficulty lies in the bioprinting process itself. Layer by layer deposition can be slow, and large organs may take hours or longer. Without proper nutrient supply during incubation, lower layers risk cell death, potentially damaging the printed structure. While simple tissues like parts of the heart or muscle could be approached, fully functional large organs remain out of reach for now.
There are already examples abroad of printed organs in human patients, and Russia is progressing toward similar capabilities. The initial human-ready implants are expected to be bone implants, cartilage, and skin-like structures, with clinical use anticipated around 2030. The technology is also making its way into veterinary medicine, where notable projects include a cell-engineered claw for a cat named Lapuni and respiratory stents for dogs with laryngeal collapse established in recent years.
— Do these printed fabrics resemble living tissue, and what is meant by biomimetics?
Biomimetics aims for complete structural, architectural, external geometry, and biomechanical likeness to natural tissues. It also seeks high biocompatibility and functionality, while realizing that exact replication is rarely possible. The approach varies by implantation site. For bone prostheses, architecture and mechanics take priority; for soft tissues, ensuring vascularization and tissue integration is crucial. Soft tissue implants are often designed to gradually dissolve and be replaced by native tissue.
— What about materials that adapt after printing?
Smart materials can change properties in response to external stimuli. For example, certain devices placed in the airway of dogs can unfurl with body heat, adopting a new shape. Some materials react to light, magnetic fields, acidity, or humidity, enabling a form of four dimensional printing. This adaptability supports minimally invasive placement, though the clinical realization of such materials remains years away.
— How is the printing material prepared?
There is a goal to match tissue composition. The process begins by selecting a base material, such as ceramics or polymers for bones. Then a cellular component is considered. If needed, a frame can be created first and later populated with cells, or for soft organs, cells or tissue spheroids can be embedded in a gel for direct printing. In many cases, stem cells harvested from the patient’s bone marrow are preferentially used.
— How is bioprinting developing in Russia?
There are only a few teams deeply pursuing these ideas, and the field is still young. Russia houses a growing number of researchers in this space, and interest is rising rapidly. The expectation is for bioprinting to move from laboratory samples into clinical practice gradually. The anticipated first human applications are cartilage, skin substitutes, and related tissues, with a horizon of roughly 2025 to 2027.
— What personal aims drive the researcher’s work?
The goal is not to chase distant science fiction but to bring tangible clinical results. A major objective is clinical translation and the creation of large, functional organs. As the center is described as scientific and educational, there is also a commitment to training students who will contribute to future bioprinting efforts. The ultimate aim is to enable real-world printing of organs such as the pancreas or heart when the time is right.