Eric Bennett, CEO of Frontier Bio, told us more about 3D printing in regenerative medicine and the development of lab-grown human tissues, aiming to ultimately eliminate the organ transplant waitlist. Frontier Bio’s groundbreaking applications, such as their “brain on a chip” technology, provide humane and highly relevant alternatives to animal studies in traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, with future potential for drug discovery in conditions like Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Their advances in vascular tissue engineering promise biologically derived grafts that outperform synthetic alternatives, improving outcomes in cardiac and peripheral artery procedures. By integrating 3D bioprinting and cellular self-assembly, Frontier Bio has overcome significant challenges in replicating complex structures like alveoli. Frontier Bio’s Lab Grown Lung Tissue is nominated for the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards, Medical, Dental, or Healthcare Application of the year.
3DPI: Can you describe your application?
Eric Bennett: Frontier Bio develops lab-grown human tissues aiming to ultimately replace damaged organs and eliminate the organ transplant waitlist. In the near term, we offer our tissues and engineering services to research entities seeking alternatives to animal studies. Our “brain on a chip” technology, for instance, replaces animal models in traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, providing more relevant human data and offering significant ethical advantages. This technology has potential future applications in disease modeling and drug discovery for conditions like Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
3DPI: How does your application address a specific unmet need in the medical, dental, or healthcare field, and what impact do you see it having on patient care or treatment outcomes?
Eric Bennett: Our innovations address critical gaps in medical research and treatment, particularly through our developments in vascular applications. We envision our living grafts to be used for cardiac bypass, peripheral artery disease, and other application areas. Our engineered blood vessels aim to reduce the reliance on less durable synthetic grafts, potentially improving patient outcomes with more natural, functional alternatives. Similarly, our lung and brain models provide platforms for more effective drug testing and disease study, accelerating the development of treatments with direct relevance to human health. In the longer term, we envision creating full-size lungs for patients that need a lung transplant.
3DPI: Can you describe the most significant technical or engineering challenge you faced while developing your application and how you overcame it?
Eric Bennett: One of the most significant challenges was the creation of alveoli structures, which are intricate and difficult to replicate with conventional techniques. We tackled this by integrating 3D bioprinting with cellular self-assembly, guiding stem cells to form complex structures naturally. This approach, which some would refer to as a form of 4D printing, has allowed us to overcome limitations in current printing technologies and achieve breakthroughs in tissue engineering. But its not just about creating the shape and positioning cells. We’ve successfully engineered our human lung models to produce natural substances, such as surfactant and mucus.
3DPI: In what ways has your innovation streamlined or improved the efficiency of medical procedures, manufacturing, or patient recovery times?
Eric Bennett: We have developed a new manufacturing technique for blood vessels that could significantly enhance patient recovery times and long-term treatment outcomes. Traditional synthetic grafts often have high failure rates; our biologically derived vessels promise better integration and functionality, potentially transforming the prognosis for patients requiring vascular interventions.
3DPI: What role does collaboration with healthcare professionals or research institutions play in your development process, and how have these partnerships influenced your innovation?
Eric Bennett: Collaboration is crucial for our growth and innovation. From the outset, Frontier Bio has engaged with leading institutions like Mayo Clinic, who have been both a customer and a collaborator, supported by the National Science Foundation’s SBIR program. These collaborations enrich our development, ensuring our solutions are attuned to real-world medical needs and can swiftly transition from concept to clinical application.
3DPI: Can you discuss any case studies or patient outcomes that highlight the real-world benefits of your technology?
Eric Bennett: While our technologies have yet to be used in human patients, one case study in neural tissue modeling for TBI research underscores the potential near-term applications. Traditional TBI studies often rely on animal models, raising ethical concerns and questions about applicability to human biology. Our human cell-based models provide a more relevant and humane alternative, paving the way for more effective treatments and therapies.
3DPI: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Eric Bennett: We are immensely grateful for the support from our investors, collaborators, and community, who help propel our mission forward. We look forward to a future where our technologies minimize the need for animal studies and make the organ transplant waitlist obsolete, enhancing patient care and medical research globally.
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Featured image shows 3D printed bioreactor containing a cell-seeded scaffold that evolves into a blood vessel, used as a model to evaluate the effects of medical devices on human vessels. Photo by Frontier Bio.
