3D bioprinting is ceasing to be a laboratory technology and is becoming a real solution in operating rooms. This was confirmed during the conference “Bioprinting Today: From the State of the Art to the Clinic,” held at IQS as part of the 4th Health Innovation Week organized by Biocat. The meeting served to officially present JointLAB IQS-SJD, an initiative that formalizes a collaborative trajectory of more than ten years between IQS and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona.
IQS and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Join Forces in 3D Bioprinting to Advance Clinical Application
The session was opened by Dr. Salvador Borrós, Director General of IQS and an expert in biomaterials, who highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration to apply this technology in the clinical field.
In this regard, Dr. Glòria Nieva, coordinator of JointLAB IQS-SJD, presented this new research and transfer platform. The project combines IQS’s knowledge in biomaterials and computational simulation with the clinical and translational experience of Sant Joan de Déu to accelerate the arrival of innovative solutions at the patient’s bedside.
Personalized Implants That Grow with the Child
The healthcare impact of bioprinting was one of the central themes of the day. Dr. Jordi Raurich, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Sant Joan de Déu and member of the 3D4H unit, along with Dr. Josep Rubió Palau, pediatric oral and maxillofacial surgeon and Head of the Department at Sant Joan de Déu, delved into how this technology allows for the creation of biomimetic implants.
According to the experts, these devices would have the capacity to integrate into the child’s body and grow with them—a fundamental breakthrough to avoid the constant and complex surgical re-interventions that pediatric patients must undergo as they increase in size.
Technological and Regulatory Challenges
The conference featured the participation of Dr. Jagoda Litowczenko-Cybulska, Head of the Biomaterials and Biofabrication Laboratory at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland, who provided a global overview of the technological challenges and reproducibility standards necessary for clinical use. For his part, Dr. Arnau Valls Esteve, Head of Innovation at Sant Joan de Déu and head of the 3D4H unit, analyzed the need to establish solid synergies between engineers and surgeons to scale these technologies in daily hospital operations.
The closing debate also included Dr. Cristina Castells, R&D&I coordinator of the Banc de Sang i Teixits (Blood and Tissue Bank), and Dr. Robert Texidó Bartés, Professor of Materials Science and researcher at the GEMAT Group of IQS. The speakers emphasized the need to promote the development of new therapies specifically designed to facilitate their translation into clinical practice, as this goal is currently still far from being realized.
In conclusion, the meeting emphasized that strategic alliances, such as the one represented by JointLAB, are the essential engine for 3D bioprinting to move from being a technological promise to a daily reality that transforms personalized medical care.