Researchers 3D-printed a penis and implanted it in impotent rabbits and pigs, enabling them to have sex and reproduce. The animals had penile deformities. First, the bioengineers from the South China University of Technology and colleagues created the synthetic hydrogel penis to better understand the the mechanisms of blood flow and erectile dysfunction.
"Scientists created a detailed penile system which included the glans (tip of the penis), corpus spongiosum (the tissue surrounding the urethra) with urethral structures and an implantable model of the corpus cavernosum, the sponge-like vascular tissue responsible for erections," reports Medical Xpress.
From there, they used the same technology to repair the animals' penile deformities.
From LiveScience:
The researchers modified the printed models of the corpora cavernosa by growing cells from inside the penis of a rabbit within them, and then transplanted them into the penises of rabbits with penile issues. They also did the same with pigs, seeding the model with cells from pigs. This seeding of the model with cells from natural penises was to prevent the animals' immune systems from rejecting the implant. […]
The researchers note that this model is not a perfect replacement for a true penis transplant from another human, as it does not replace damaged nerves, blood vessels, or the urethra. However, despite this, they hope that in the future they can develop 3D-printed penis models that do include these important structures.
Previously:
• Scientists have found a potential new method for 3D printing bones directly inside of human bodies
• Medical 3D printer for inside the human body
