A team of Korean researchers has developed a 3D-printed stem cell patch that could change

韓國研究人員近來研發出3D列印之幹細胞貼片，

the way doctors perform heart surgeries.

或許即將改變醫師的心臟手術方式

Kim Hyesung sheds light on the breakthrough.

接下來就由Kim Hyesung為您做詳細報導

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

心臟疾病高居人類的前幾大死因

The World Health Organization says over 8 million people died from coronary artery disease in 2015 alone.

根據世界衛生組織的統計顯示，光是2015年就有超過800萬人死於冠狀動脈疾病

Fewer than half of patients who suffer a heart attack after receiving a heart surgery end

心臟病發的病人在動手術後，能夠活超過五年的不到一半，

up living longer than five years,... due to the difficulty of regenerating damaged heart tissue.

原因是受損的心臟組織難以再生

But a new finding could provide a solution.

但這項新發明提供了解決方法。

Korean researchers have developed a 3D printed stem cell patch that can enhance cardiac repair

韓國研究人員研發出3D列印之幹細胞貼片

by generating new blood vessels and tissues when attached to the heart.

可以在貼上心臟後增生新的血管和組織加強心臟修復

Scientists at the Pohang University of Science and Technology, or POSTECH, harvested myocardial

浦項工科大學的科學家將人工培養的心肌和血管幹細胞

and vascular stem cells, which they then combined with what they call biological ink, a gel

結合至「生物性墨水」當中，

made from a decellularized pig's heart.

也就是一種取自去細胞豬心的凝膠

"It's crucial to extract the extracellular matrix, leaving elements like protein but

「移除其他細胞，只萃取細胞外間質和蛋白質很重要，

removing other pig cells to prevent it from causing disruption in the transplanted species' immune system."

如此才能避免移植過後生物體內的免疫系統產生排斥反應。」

The bioink mixture facilliates the fabrication of 3D-shaped structures by placing the incubated

生物性墨水能列印出具有3D外觀的結構，

stem cells in dual-cell arrangements.

是藉由排列培養的幹細胞呈現雙細胞配置

After publishing the bioink concept in the journal Nature in 2014, the POSTECH research

2014年，生物性墨水的概念在《自然》期刊上發表以後，

team, with the help of Seoul Saint Mary's Hospital, successfully tested the technique

浦項工科大學的研究團隊和首爾聖母醫院合作，成功將此項技術應用在

on a mouse with myocardial disease.

患有心肌症的老鼠身上。

The 3-D printed patch integrated well with the mouse's existing tissue.

3D列印之貼片順利地和老鼠的組織融合。

It reduced the hardness of certain fibrotic areas affected by a lack of blood supply and

減少了由於缺乏血液灌流所導致了組織纖維化和硬化，

created new blood vessels, helping its heart pump again.

並促進血管增生，幫助心臟跳動。

"I've conducted bioengeneering research for over two decades and this is a very encouraging result.

「我已經在生物工程領域鑽研了二十年以上，而這項成果真的十分振奮人心。」

Only one in ten patients can receive an organ implant, but 3D printing using our bioink

「通常，一位病患只有十分之一的機會能接受移植手術，但現今運用生物性墨水以及3D列印技術，

shows that printed organs can be transplanted to an animal,... opening the possibility of

已經可將人工列印的器官移植於動物體內，

transplanting the tissue in humans."

這為人類的器官移植發展出一種新的可能。」

Having proved that the 3D printed stem cell patch works, the team's next goal is to see

在證明3D列印的幹細胞貼片具可行性之後，研究團隊的下個目標

if there are any side effects... to test whether it's safe to use in the long term.

是找出這項技術是否會有任何副作用，以檢視其長期使用的安全性。

Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.

以上為Arirang News，Kim Hyesung的報導