S.Korea's T&R Biofab secures patent in Japan for 3D-printed liver

South Korea's regenerative medicine company T&R Biofab Co. on Monday said it obtained a patent in Japan for production technology for liver organoids via 3D bioprinting.

Made to resemble its original organ, an organoid is made by culturing human stem cells through a method of producing 3D organoids by changing stem cells into desired ones. Organoids are considered next-generation technology because of their usefulness in developing patient-customized organs for transplant and replacing experimentation on animals.

When making this organoid, T&R Biofab said it used not only liver cells but also vascular tissue necessary for the 3D-printed liver to function in the body. The organoid can be used for evaluation of liver toxicity, use of related disease models such as fatty liver and search for new drug candidates, it added.

"Using induced pluripotent stem cells, we differentiate them as hepatocytes, produce liver organoids that include vascular tissue and analyze liver function," T&R Biofab director Shim Jin-young said. "In addition to the domestic market and Japan, we have applied for patents in the US, China and Europe and reviews of them are underway."

Growing criticism of animal testing worldwide including in South Korea has attracted attention to organoids as an alternative. Whether organoids can completely replace experimentation on animals is unclear, but securing infrastructure for the production process is another mountain to overcome.

T&R Biofab, however, said organoid technology has advanced enough so that it can create copies of human organs like the heart, liver, intestines and kidneys.

"Organoid technology is the most feasible approach among alternatives to animal testing,” a T&R Biofab source said. "With US President Joe Biden signing last year an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to abolish the mandatory clause on animal testing, alternatives to such testing will continue growing as a sector."
 
Write to Jeong Min Nam at peux@hankyung.com