Bioengineers have cleared a major hurdle on the path to 3D printing replacement organs. It's a breakthrough technique for bioprinting tissues with exquisitely entangled vascular networks that mimic the body's natural passageways for blood, air, lymph and other vital fluids.

Kelly Stevens, assistant professor of bioengineering and pathology and a member of the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and her team worked in collaboration with researchers from Rice University. She explains in the video below that there are still many years of work to be done before bioprinted transplant organs are a reality, but this is a critical stepping stone to a future when people with liver disease might be helped by this technology.