>> ON THIS EPISODE OF CYCLE OF HEALTH, BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY.

EXPLORE THE BIOMATERIALS INSTITUTE AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY AND DISCOVER WAYS THESE ORGANIC MATERIALS ARE PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES IN MEDICINE.

THEN JOIN US FOR A CONVERSATION WITH FOUR EXPERTS WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINES OF DEVELOPING THIS CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY.

ALL THIS AND MORE, COMING UP ON CYCLE OF HEALTH.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ HELLO AND WELCOME TO CYCLE OF HEALTH, I'M DR. RICH O'NEILL.

ON TONIGHT'S SHOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY.

ACCORDING TO DONATE LIFE AMERICA, MORE THAN 100,000 OF US ARE WAITING FOR AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT AND SOMEONE ELSE IS ADDED TO THAT LIST EVERY 10 MINUTES.

BUT IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE ORGANS CAN BE 3D PRINTED, IMAGINE THAT, SAVING TIME AND SAVING LIVES.

THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE WAY THIS TECHNOLOGY CAN INFLUENCE NOT ONLY OUR BODIES, BUT MEDICINE AS WE KNOW IT.

WE HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF GUESTS TONIGHT HELPING US TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS TECHNOLOGY WORKS AND WHAT OTHER MEDICAL ADVANCES ARE ON THE HORIZON.

THEY ARE: DR. JASON HORTON, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY AT SUNY UPSTATE DR. MARY BETH "MB" MONROE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BIOMEDICAL AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY DR. CHRIS SANTANGELO, PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY AND DR. PRANAV SOMAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOMEDICAL AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING ALSO AT SU.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE BEFORE WE GET TO OUR CONVERSATION, I WANT TO FIRST TAKE YOU TO THE BIOMATERIALS INSTITUTE AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY WHERE PROFESSOR SOMAN AND PROFESSOR SANTANGELO'S RESEARCH TAKES PLACE.

DON'T FORGET YOUR LAB COATS!

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

THE IMAGE ON THE UP EVERY LEFT-- ON THE UPPER LEFT IS BASICALLY YOUR ALVEOLI OR LUNG SAC, THESE ARE YOUR AIR SACKS SURROUNDED BY NETWORK OF BLOOD VESSELS AND THIS IS WHAT THIS IS SHOWING.

THE SIZE OF THE VESSELS ARE IN THE PRINTED OBJECT IS BASICALLY 200-MICRONS SO SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN THE WEIGHT OF YOUR HAIR.

MY NAME IS PRANAV SOMAN.

IN PLY LAB WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK AT HOW THEY ARE MADE.

CAN I TAKE MINERALS AND PROTEINS ARRANGE THEM IN 3D WAYS FROM NANOTO MACRO AND IF I COMBINE ALL OF THEM, CAN WE ALSO ACHIEVE OR GET NEW SMART THINGS.

EVERYBODY IS TRYING TO INNOVATE THE SAME THING, CAN WE MIMIC NATURE IN SOME WAY AND CREATE MAYO MEDICAL SMALL SCALE ORGANS OR IMPLANTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

>> BIOMATERIALS ARE MATERIALS THAT ARE EITHER MADE OUT OF BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS, THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SHARK SKIN MIGHT BE MADE OUT OF OR MATERIALS THAT WE MAKE THAT ARE SOMEHOW COMPATIBLE WITH BEING IN OR TOUCHING A LIVING ORGANISM.

>> BIOMATERIALS CAN BE FOUND EVERYWHERE.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF I TAKE A SMALL PIECE OF YOUR SKIN, YOU WILL HAVE STERILE LIKE COLLAGEN THAT IS INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY.

>> HERE YOU ARE LOOKING AT WHAT USED TO BE, UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO, THE WORLD'S SMALLEST ORIGAMI BIRD.

AND THE WORLD'S SMALLEST SELF FOLDING ORIGAMI BIRD.

THIS TINY PINK SPECK HERE NEXT TO THE GRAIN OF RICE.

WHAT IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU ZOOM IN ON A MICROSCOPE IS THIS THING.

THIS IS CALLED THE RANDLETT FLAPPING BIRD.

AND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT HERE IS A MOVIE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU BASICALLY PUT THE BIRD IN WATER AND GET IT TO FOLD UP INTO THIS THREE DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY.

>> SO A SMART MATERIAL IS A KIND OF CATCH-ALL TERM FOR MATERIALS THAT WE CAN PROGRAM, MATERIALS THAT WE CAN DESIGN TO HAVE THE KINDS OF PROPERTIES WE WANT AND IN SOME CASES, ACTUALLY MATERIALS THAT CAN DO SOME SIMPLE PROCESSING.

>> WE HAVEN'T WITHIN ABLE TO MAKE-- WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE SMART MATERIALS IN THE SAME WAY NATURE IS ABLE TO MAKE.

IT IS VERY LIGHT.

MAN IS NOT ABLE TO MAKE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO TOMORROW IF YOU GO TO THE GYM AND START LIFTING WEIGHTS, AFTER TWO MONTHS, THE BONE ACTUALLY GROWS IN MASS.

IT IGNORES THAT EXTRA MECHANICAL TASK THAT HAS TO BE CARRIED OUT AND GROWS IN MASS.

AMAZING.

MAN IS NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.

>> IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE, SMART MATERIALS CAN BE USED IN SURGERY, WHERE YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A MATERIAL THAT GOES IN IN A VERY COMPACT STATE AND THEN YOU CAN OPEN UP.

SO THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF ORIGAMI FACE HEART STENTS THAT YOU CAN INSERT IN A COMPACT WAY THAT WILL OPEN UP AND SUPPORT ARTERIES.

>> MY SO RESEARCH REVOLVES AROUND AREAS OF 3D PRINTING AND 3D BIOPRINTING.

THIS IS THE SAME IDEA.

THE SAME WAY THE PROJECTOR TAKES OUR SLIDES AND ZOOMS OUT AND PROJECTS IT ALL OVER THE WALL, IN THIS CASE, WE ESSENTIALLY ZOOM IT, THE SAME LIGHT AND ZOOM IT IN SO WE CAN MAKE REALLY SMALL SCALE THINGS.

CHRIS SANTANGELO FROM PHYSICS TELLS ME WHAT I CAN PRINT.

HE TELLS ME IF YOU PRINT THIS, IT WILL BECOME THIS.

>> THE KIND OF STRUCTURES THAT WE WORK ON FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE CAN BE AS BIG OR AS SMALL AS YOU WANT.

THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND THEM WORK AT ANY SCALE.

BUT MOST OF THE MATERIALS THAT ARE RELATED TO HEALTH ARE QUITE A BIT SMALLER, ESSENTIAL I, A MILLIMETER SIZE OR SMALLER.

>> IF THE TECHNOLOGY WORKS, WE WANT TO BRING LARGE SCALE ORGANS AND REPLACE THEM.

>> AT THE END OF THE DAY THOUGH, WE ARE STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO DO ALL OF THIS STUFF, RIGHT?

BIOLOGY DOES ALL KINDS OF AMAZING THINGS, ALMOST NONE OF WHICH WE CAN PREPROO YET.

>>-- REPRODUCE.

>> IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORGANS WE NEED AND WHAT WE HAVE, IT IS INCREASING.

THE GAP CAN'TING SOLVED RIGHT NOW WITH ANY TECHNOLOGY.

>> THE IDEA IS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW BIOLOGY DOES THESE THINGS AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN DO IT OURSELVES AND THEN THE THIRD STEP AFTER THAT, IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THEM CHEAPLY ENOUGH THAT THEY'RE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE.

>> IT'S ALMOST LIKE SPARE PARTS, RIGHT?

TOMORROW YOU NEED A NEW HEART.

WE'LL PRINT YOU A NEW HEART.

MAYBE 20 YEARS AGO OR 10 YEARS AGO, THE BIG FLASHY NEWS ABOUT VOLUME PRINTING, BUT AS WE WENT INTO THE DEPTH OF THE PROBLEM, WE DISCOVERED IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT SOUNDS, RIGHT?

WITH ANY NEW POSSIBILITY, THERE IS A LOT OF HYPE AND THEN IT WILL CRASH BUT SLOWLY AGAIN IT GOES UP TO SOMETHING THAT IS REAL.

SO WE ARE ACTUALLY ON THAT PATH WHERE IT COULD BECOME SOMETHING VERY REAL.

>> SO WHETHER I WAS A KID, THE IMAGE I HAD OF SCIENTISTS WAS Dr. FRANKENSTEIN IN THAT INCREDIBLE BASEMENT LAB HE HAD WITH THE ZZZZ THING, ELECTRICAL THING GOING ON AND THEN ZAPPING, YOU KNOW AND THEN THE MONSTER.

SO Dr. SOMAN, DOES YOUR LAB LOOK LIKE THAT?

IF NOT, WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO IN YOUR LAB?

WHAT IS THE EXCITING STUFF.

>> NOT THAT MUCH FUN.

[LAUGHTER] SO IN MY GROUP, MY LAB ESSENTIALLY MAKES THESE MACHINES WHICH ARE ESSENTIALLY CALLED 3D PRINTERS, WHICH CAN PRINT WITH LIGHT SO WHEREVER I SHINE LIGHT, I CAN BASICALLY CHANGE LIQUID INTO SOLID.

SO YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE IF I WANT TO PRINT A SMALL SCALE ORGAN, I WILL TAKE A LIQUID BIOINK AND SHINE LIGHT ON THE BIOINK AND MAKE IT INTO A GEL AND PRINT A 3D ORGAN AND THE 3D ORGANS ONCE THEY'RE PRINTED, YOU CAN USE THEM FOR SCREENING FOR DRUGS AND FOR MANY OTHER THINGS WITH THE HOPE THAT ONE DAY WE WILL ACTUALLY ACHIEVE LIKE TECHNOLOGY WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO PRINT THE ENTIRE ORGAN.

>> THE THAT IS REALLY AMAZING.

SO YOU SHINE LINE ON SOMETHING AND THEN SOMEHOW THAT TRANSLATES INTO BEING ABLE TO PRINT IT.

>> YES.

SO ESSENTIALLY, WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL KIND OF BIOINKS AS THE NAME INDICATES, IT'S LIKE AN INK BUT BIOCOMPATIBLE AND THEY'RE SPECIAL IN THAT WAY THAT WHEN YOU SHINE LIGHT ON THEM, YOU CAN CROSS LINK THEM OR BASICALLY CONVERT THEM INTO A LIQUID BIOINK INTO A SOLID STRUCTURE.

>> WHAT IS A BIOINK?

>> IT CAN ESSENTIALLY BE MADE OUT OF A LARGE RANGE OF BIOMATERIALS.

BIOMATERIALS CAN BE SYNTHETIC WHICH IS MANMADE OR THEY COULD BE FROM PROTEIN BASED, SUGAR BASED.

SO YOU CAN MAKE A BUNCH OF BIOINKS BASED ON WHAT YOU NEED.

>> YOU DON'T GET THESE AT OFFICE DEPOT.

>> YOU DON'T GET THESE AT OFFICE DEPOT.

>> SO I IMAGINE, I KNOW PHYSICS PLAYS A ROLE IN THESE THINGS, PROFESSOR SANTANGELO.

TELL ME HOW DOES THIS-- HOW DO YOU LINK UP TO THESE BIOMATERIALS AND BIOINKS, ET CETERA.

>> SO OUR RULE IS BASICALLY TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE BEHAVE AS MATERIALS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT ESSENTIALLY HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF STRUCTURE IS SOMEONE LIKE Dr. SOMAN SHOULD BE PRINTING.

AND ALSO TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE ACTUAL TISSUES WORK IN THE BODY THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PRINT.

SO THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT PROPERTIES WHEN YOU PUT THEM YOUR BODY.

YOU WANT TO REPLACE YOUR HEART.

YOU WANT THAT THUNK TO ACTUALLY MUMP BLOOD IN THE RIGHT WAY.

>> SO I'M GETTING TO THE AGE WHERE I'M THINKING I MIGHT NEED A NEW HEART AT SOME POINT.

SO TELL ME ABOUT, LIKE WHAT PHYSICS DO YOU DO TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT?

>> SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THE HEART TISSUE, THE HEART IS A PUMP BUT IT'S ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED FROM MUSCLE.

THE MUSCLE CONTRACTS ALONG BASICALLY SHRINKS ALONG CERTAIN DIRECTIONS.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE OF THE MUSCLE, IT'S VERY COMPLICATED.

IT'S NOT THE KIND OF THING THAT I THINK WE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT TO PUT TOGETHER.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IN MY GROUP NOW IS TO UNDERSTAND AND PREDICT THE PROPERTIES OF THE HEART MUSCLE SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT PARTS OF THAT STRUCTURE ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE PUMPING ACTION.

>> SO I UNDERSTAND, Dr. MONROE, YOU ARE ALSO ONE OF THE SMART PEOPLE, PHYSICISTS LIKE-- SO HOW DOES YOUR WORK LINK TO CHRIS SANTANGELO'S?

>> YEAH, SO I'M AN ENGINEER.

AND I DO ALL MY RESEARCH IS IN BIOMATERIALS.

MOST OF WHAT I DO IN MY LAB IS SHAPE MEMORY POLYMERS, SMART MATERIALS.

>> SHAPE MEMORY POLYMERS.

WHAT ARE THEY?

>> YOU SYNTHESIZE THEM IN A PRIMARY SHAPE.

MY GO TO EXAMPLE I GIVE IS CLOTHING.

PRIMARY SHAPE IS A WRINKLE WILLED, THE COTTON IS WRINKLED.

YOU CAN APPLY A STIMULUS AND SOME KIND OF MECHANICAL FORCES SO WE CAN IRON OUR SHIRTS AND MAKE THEM, PUT THEM INTO A SECONDARY SHAPE STRAIGHTENED, SMOOTH AND NOT WRINKLED AND THEN IT RETAINS THE SECONDARY SHAPE UNTIL YOU APPLY ANOTHER STIMULUS IN THE CASE OF OUR SHIRTS, WE CAN WASH THEM AND IT GOES BACK TO THE WRINKLED STATED.

WE USE THESE MATERIALS, WE PUT THEM IN A SMALLER LOW PROFILE GEOMETRY THAT YOU CAN USE TO IMPLANT IT MORE EASILY THROUGH A CATHETER OR IRREGULARLY SHAPED WOUND.

ONCE IT TOUCHES THE BODY, IT HEATS UP TO BODY TEMPERATURE AND REEXPANDS AND FILLS UP THE SHAPE.

>> I FELL THE OTHER DAY.

I HURT MY FEE AND I THOUGHT I MIGHT NEED STITCHES AND IT WAS PRETTY NASTY.

SO IS THAT THE KIND OF THING, LIKE YOU MIGHT PUT ONE OF THESE EXPANDING POLYMERS IN TO?

>> PROBABLY NOT ON THAT SMALL OF A SCALE.

>> YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HELP ME?

>> SHAPE MEMORY POLYMERS, WAS OF THE FIRST APPLICATIONS WAS IN SELF TIGHTENING SUTURES.

YOU PUT THEM IN AND THEY HEAT UP TO BODY TEMPERATURE AND THEY CONTRACT AND THEY PULL THE EDGES OF THE WOUND TOGETHER TO MAKE IT CLOSE UP MORE EFFICIENTLY.

SO THAT HAS A POTENTIAL APPLICATION.

NOT WHAT I WORK ON.

>> WHAT DO YOU WORK ON?

>> I DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT WOUND HEALING APPLICATIONS FOR A LOT OF MY WORK IS ON HEMORRHAGE CONTROL.

WHEN YOU HAVE TRAUMATIC BLEEDING, A SURPRISING NUMBER OF PEOPLE DYING JUST FROM BLEEDING EVERY YEAR SO IF YOU CAN STABILIZE THE BLEED AND GET THE PATIENT TO A HOSPITAL, YOU CAN INCREASE THEIR CHANCE OF LIVING.

>> OR IF YOU ARE LIKE YOU HAVE A SURGERY, SPEAKING OF Dr. HORTON OVER HERE, ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY, THERE MUST BE A LOT OF HEMORRHAGING GOING ON THERE AND THAT MIGHT BE A POTENTIAL APPLICATION.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> THERE CAN BE, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF TRAUMA.

>> AND SO YOUR WORK IS MOSTLY WITH BONES AND SKELETAL STRUCTURES, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THE WORK IN MY LAB IS FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING HOW THE SKELETAL STEM CELLS BECOME ACTIVATED, HOW WE CAN USE THEM IN REGENERATIVE MEDICAL APPLICATIONS HOPEFULLY TO HOPEFULLY MAKE IT EASIER TO TREAT DIFFERENT SKELETAL INJURIES RANGING FROM FRACTURES, THEIR ROLE IN CHANGING HOW THE BONE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES ARE CHANGING OVER THE COURSE OF OUR LIVES.

>> SO LET ME INTERRUPT YOU IF I MAY.

WHEN YOU SAY REGENERATIVE SOMETHING, I DIDN'T CATCH THE NEXT WORD.

>> SKELETAL REGENERATION.

>> SKELETAL REGENERATION.

LIKE THE BIONIC MAN?

>> NOT NECESSARILY BIONIC.

OUR BODY HAS A WONDERFUL ABILITY TO HEAL ITSELF AND A LOT.

HEALING PROCESS INVOLVES THE ACTIVATION OF STEM CELLS THAT LIVE IN OUR TISSUES AND CAN BE STIMULATED TO ENGAGE THAT REPAIR PROCESS WHICH WE OVERLY MAKE SCIENTIFIC AND CALL IT GENTLEMEN GENERAL-- CALL IT REGENERATION WHEN IT'S REALLY A REPAIR PROGRESS YOUR FOCUS IS TRYING TO FINE TUNE IT, BOOST IT UP?

>> RIGHT NOW WE ARE PRIECIALLY FOCUSED ON IDENTIFYING THE CELLS THAT CONTRACT TO THAT IN THE BONE MICROENVIRONMENT.

AND THEN FINDING WAYS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THEM IN A CLINICAL APPLICATION AND THAT'S WHERE SOME OF MY WORK WITH Dr. SOMAN COMES IN.

>> TELL US WILL THE LINK BETWEEN YOU, JASON AND PRANAV OVER THERE?

HOW DO YOU TALK TO EACH OTHER AND WORK WITH EACH OTHER?

>> FIVE YEARS AGO I CAME TO HIS LAB AND I TOLD HIM I KNOW HOW TO BUILD THINGS.

TELL ME WHAT TO DO.

>> HE DIDN'T WANT THAT ZZZ-- I DO.

I WANT WITH IN MY BASEMENT.

BACK TO YOU.

>> SO HE SHARED WITH ME A PROBLEM HE ENCOUNTERED IN THE CLINIC WHERE ESSENTIALLY, AT HE SAID, BONE CAN HEAL ITSELF BUT IF THE WOUND IS TOO BIG, IT CAN'T.

SO BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU NEED SOME ASSISTANCE.

SO SOME ENGINEERING APPROACHES TO HELP THE BODY SORT OF FILL UP THAT WOUND.

SO THAT'S WHERE SORT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP STARTED.

AND SO THE WAY IT WORKS RIGHT NOW IS WE OR I TRY TO 3D PRINT SMALL SCALE BONES WITH CHANNELS IN THEM SO THEN HE CAN TAKE THAT GRAFT AND PUT IT INTO ANIMALS TESTED IF THEY CAN INTEGRATE WITH THE HOST BONE.

>> AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THIS IS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THE SKELETAL STEM CELLS THAT LIVE WITHIN THE MATERIAL HE IS PRINTING WITH.

>> YOU GUYS GET THE STEM CELLS.

>> UH-HUH.

>> AND THEN YOU WALK THEM ACROSS THE CAMPUS OVER TO PRANAV?

>> YES.

>> AND WHAT DO DO YOU WITH THEM ONCE THEY GET THERE?

>> I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO PRIMARY STEM CELLS.

SO BASICALLY Dr. HORTON GIVES ME THE CELLS.

I TAKE ITSELF CELLS AND MIX IT INTO THIS BIOINK AND ONCE I MIX THEM, I USE THE BIOINK AND PUT IT IN MY 3D PRINTER AND BIOPRINT HIS CELLS IN A 3D STRUCTURE AND ONCE THE 3D STRUCTURE IS PRINTED, I TAKE THE STRUCTURE BACK TO HIS LAB AND HE WILL TAKE THAT STRUCTURE AND IMPLANT IT IN AN ANIMAL.

>> AND SO THE ANIMAL-- SO YOU ARE CREATING, REALLY LIKE AN ORGAN.

>> YES.

>> A SMALL ORGAN.

>> OKAY.

>> THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING.

YOU ARE CREATING AN ORGAN AND THEN YOU TAKE IT OVER TO YOUR LAB AND YOU IMPLANT IT SURGICALLY INTO AN ANIMAL TO SEE HOW IT WORKS?

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

>> YES.

>> WHAT OTHER THINGS ARE IN THE PIPELINE THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON REGENERATIVELY MAKING?

>> ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE ARE TRYING TO SOLVE ULTIMATELY IS HOW TO CLOSE A FRACTURE THAT IS SO BIG IT CAN'T HEAL.

SOMETIMES THESE HAPPEN DURING THE INITIAL INJURY AND SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS AS THE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON IS TRYING TO CLOSE THE SURGERY BUT THEY DON'T GROW BACK TOGETHER.

SOMETIMES THE BLOOD VESSELS DON'T OCCUPY THE SPACE.

ONE OF OUR BIG FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS TO BIG OUR 3D BONE GRAFTS THAT HAVE A BUILT IN VASCULAR SYSTEM.

SO THERE HAS BEEN SOME REALLY EXCITING WORK IN 3 RANAV'S LAB THAT WE THINK WILL ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TO LET US DO THAT AND CONNECT THEM TO THE CIRCULAR VIRGINIAS LAR SYSTEM.

>> HOOKING UP THE HIP BONE TO THE KNEE BONE... >> TO THE FEMORAL ARTERY.

>> ONE BIG PROBLEM IN THE FIELD, IF WE REALLY WANT TO PRINT LARGE SCALE ORGANS WE NEED TO SOLVE THE ISSUE OF PLUMBING, RIGHT?

IF YOU THINK ABOUT ANY ORGAN SYSTEM THAT IS BASICALLY PIPES, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE BLOOD-- >> WAIT A MINUTE, YOU NEED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF PLUMBING?

>> YES.

PLUMBING.

YOU WANT TO CREATE BASICALLY MULTI-SCALE PLUMBING WITHIN A 3D PRINTED ORGAN TO ENSURE THAT IF WE SUPPLY ENOUGH FOOD BECAUSE THIS IS A LIVE ORGAN.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT STAY AS LIVE AND THAT IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM WHICH WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE YES YET SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE CREATING SMALL SCALE ORGANS BECAUSE WE CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM IN A SMALL WAY BUT WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO SCALE IT UP AND DO THAT.

>> HOW DOES YOUR RESEARCH LINK TO THAT?

TELL US HOW.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON IN THE GROUP IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN 3D PRINTING.

IT'S WHAT UNITE CALL 4D PRINTING.

THE IDEA IS TO START FROM SOMETHING FLAT, WHICH YOU CAN PATTERN VERY EASILY EXACTLY THE WAY THAT Dr. SOMAN MENTIONED, BUT THEN THAT FLAT THING WILL FOLD ITSELF UP INTO THE THREE DIMENSIONAL SHAPE THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.

IN SOME WAYS, I THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD BE FAIRLY EASY WAY TO CREATE THE KINDS OF STRUCTURE THAT YOU MIGHT NEED TO PRINT ORGANS OR AT LEAST THAT'S THE HOPE.

>> HOW DOES IT SHAPE ITSELF?

HOW DOES IT-- LIKE YOU ARE SAYING, IS IT TWO DIMENSIONAL PATTERN AND THEN IT FOLDS ITSELF SOMEHOW, I THINK YOU SAID.

HOW DOES IT DO THAT?

>> THE SAME WAY THAT YOUR TISSUES DO IT, BY GROWING.

YOU CAN PATTERN HOW THAT GROWTH HAPPENS, WHERE IT HAPPENS.

, FOR EXAMPLE, THEN YOU CAN USE THAT GROWTH TO ACTUALLY CAUSE IT TO SHAPE ITSELF.

YOU KNOW, IT'S THE SAME WAY THAT PLANTS WORK TO, YOU KNOW, HELP FLOWERS GET THEIR SHAPES OR THE SAME WAY THAT A LOT OF YOUR TISSUES WORK IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, ACQUIRING THEIR SHAPES.

YOU ARE REALLY JUST A SHEET FOLDED UP INTO THE SHAPE OF A PERSON.

SO YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THIS IS THE WAY THAT BIOLOGY CHOOSES TO DO THINGS.

AND SO MAYBE WE NEED TO LISTEN WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY MANUFACTURE AND FABRICATE SOME OF THESE ORGANS.

>> YEAH.

>> I SOMETIMES THINK OF MYSELF AS JUST A BLOB OF MASS AND ENERGY.

NOW I HAVE A NEW TERP.

I'M A SHEET.

I'M A BLOB OF MASS AND ENERGY IN THE TERM OF A MULTIFOLDED SHEET.

>> WREENGLY FOLDED SHEET.

>> M.B.

OVER THERE IS GOING TO HELP ME FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP ME IRON MYSELF IN A NEW WAY.

WHAT ARE WE GOING SEE SOON?

IS THERE ANYTHING BEFORE I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, SIX FEET UNDER?

ARE WE GOING SEE SOMETHING AT THE OF CVS DRUGSTORE?

ARE WE GOING SEE SOMETHING SOON?

>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE DRUGSTORE BUT MAYBE WITH THE SURGEON, A LITTLE HELP FROM THEM TO PUT THE PARTS WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK MIGHT BE THE NEXT SOMETHING ON THE EDGE OF-- ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR OR JUST-- >> I FEEL LIKE REGENERATIVE MEDICINE AND TISSUE ENGINEERING ON THE WHOLE IS ON THE PRECIPICE OF MAKING BIG CLINICAL IMPACTS.

WE ARE SEEING CLINICAL USES OF MATERIAL AND I THINK IN THE EFFECTS 20 YEARS IT WILL BE MORE WHERE INSTEAD OF USING A CADAVER ORGAN DONATED WE DO HAVE THESE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE.

SO SIGHTS A VERY EXCITING PLACE TO BE IN RIGHT NOW.

>> IS THERE ANY CHANCE I COULD GET NOR HAIR?

LIKE ALL THIS HAIR IN THE FRONT.

YOU AREN'T GOING DO THAT?

>> TISSUE JE ENGINEERS ARE WORKING ON THAT AS WELL.

>> THAT WOULD BE A BILLION-DOLLAR IDEA.

>> I THINK YOU SHOULD JUST EMBRACE IT.

I NEED TO BELIEVE THAT.

>> NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION, RIGHT?

>> LISTEN GUYS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE, BUT I WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS FOR JOINING US.

DR. JASON HORTON, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY AT SUNY UPSTATE DR. MARY BETH MONROE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BIOMEDICAL AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AT SU DR. CHRIS SANTANGELO, PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY AND DR. PRANAV SOMAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOMEDICAL AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY BE SURE TO VISIT WCNY.ORG/CYCLEOFHEALTH FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AND OTHER EPISODES.

FOR CYCLE OF HEALTH.

I'M DR. RICH O'NEILL.