Last year, Rachel introduced us to a firm called TeVido BioDevices, which, at the time, was beginning research into 3D printing breast tissue for those who had undergone mastectomies, as a result of breast cancer. At the time, TeVido’s initial focus was to be on filling voids left by removed tumors, but, since then, the Texas-based company has narrowed their focus a bit more, taking baby steps, rather than giant leaps, to begin the bioprinting process. First, the company is working on replacing a smaller tissue sample for breast cancer survivors, the nipple.
In order to re-establish the identity associated with a complete breast, the nipple is essential. According to TeVido, patients who undergo breast reconstruction can suffer psychological distress caused by the lack of a nipple-areola complex (NAC), even after breast mound reconstruction. Laura Bosworth, co-founder of TeVido, explains in the interview with Not Impossible labs (embedded at the bottom of this article), that nipple replacement after surgery is still an unrefined process. Patients can have a tattoo of a nipple inked on to their chests, but, without the proper texture, the drawing feels artificial. Doctors have then begun creating texture by making incisions and stitching them up, with the patient having the tattoo made afterwards.
TeVido hopes to make this current practice obsolete with 3D bioprinting technology. The company is currently developing its proprietary, patent-pending, bioprinting technology, called Cellatier, that will work with a patient’s own fat and skin cells to create an NAC graft. TeVido’s original bioprinter was born from a modified HP inkjet printer, replacing the ink with living tissue and adding a Z-axis. They’ve yet to prove their concept, but have convinced enough people to earn some investment.
For instance, in 2012, the Austin firm received a $150,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, which it used to fund its research last year. They believe that the printed tissue has worked well on mice and will spend the next two years performing clinical trials. Having not yet received a second grant from the NSF, TeVido is in the process of seeking funds through separate grants or venture capitalists to ensure the continuation of their research.
If the company does succeed in funding its research, it will move on from NAC printing to filling lumpectomies. In the distant future, it may even be possible to 3D print entire breasts, but TeVido’s more complex research is still seven years away from completion, according to Bosworth. Even with the replacement of the NAC, the firm is sure to alleviate the psychological suffering of mastectomy patients, so here’s to hoping that they can pull it off.
