1
00:00:02,769 --> 00:00:04,537
This is The Lab Beat,
2
00:00:04,537 --> 00:00:07,440
where we catch the pulse of cutting-edge
labs.
3
00:00:07,707 --> 00:00:08,775
I'm Natalie Tso.
4
00:00:08,775 --> 00:00:14,080
Imagine — if someone who needs a new liver
could just print one
5
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,084
with this 3D bioprinter
using a sample of their own cells.
6
00:00:19,019 --> 00:00:21,988
That's the vision behind stem
cell engineering.
7
00:00:22,722 --> 00:00:25,725
Popular Science named Quinton
Smith “a scientist
8
00:00:25,725 --> 00:00:29,262
on the cusp of changing the world” in 2023
9
00:00:29,929 --> 00:00:33,867
because of his 3D approach to stem
cell engineering.
10
00:00:34,467 --> 00:00:36,736
What inspired Smith
to get into this field?
11
00:00:37,570 --> 00:00:38,805
Science fiction.
12
00:00:38,805 --> 00:00:42,776
This idea that we can take any human cell
in the body,
13
00:00:42,876 --> 00:00:45,779
reprogram
it all the way to an embryonic state
14
00:00:46,112 --> 00:00:49,649
and create any cell type in the human body
for regenerative medicine.
15
00:00:49,916 --> 00:00:53,086
I kind of envision like a world
where maybe we don't need to take drugs,
16
00:00:53,319 --> 00:00:55,655
but maybe we can use the cell
as the therapy.
17
00:00:56,389 --> 00:00:58,792
This is how it would work
with a liver problem.
18
00:00:59,025 --> 00:01:01,327
Let's say my liver is failing, right?
19
00:01:01,528 --> 00:01:06,332
I take a biopsy of my skin, reprogram
those cells to an embryonic state, convert
20
00:01:06,332 --> 00:01:10,437
those cells to liver cells, mass produce
those liver cells.
21
00:01:10,770 --> 00:01:15,909
Use our 3D printer to organize those cells
in the way that our liver is structured
22
00:01:15,909 --> 00:01:19,913
— it has a beautiful, hexagonal pattern —
and then transplant
23
00:01:19,913 --> 00:01:21,581
that back into my body.
24
00:01:21,581 --> 00:01:23,650
I think it's a little bit science fiction.
25
00:01:23,950 --> 00:01:27,520
You can actually see different shows
using 3D printing, like Westworld
26
00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,957
is one of my favorite shows,
but I think that's feasible.
27
00:01:30,990 --> 00:01:32,692
I think that's possible.
28
00:01:32,692 --> 00:01:32,859
Ph.D.
29
00:01:32,859 --> 00:01:37,931
student Christopher Clark tells us
more about that cool 3D bioprinter.
30
00:01:38,031 --> 00:01:42,702
This is a Cell Ink Bio X bio printer
with three extrusion heads.
31
00:01:43,203 --> 00:01:46,406
If we want to mimic the architecture
of some parts of the human body,
32
00:01:46,539 --> 00:01:53,379
such as the alveoli of the lungs
or the shape of a liver cell environment,
33
00:01:53,613 --> 00:01:57,117
we can use a bioprinter to print cells
in confined
34
00:01:57,117 --> 00:02:00,220
geometries and in relation
to other cells that used to.
35
00:02:01,955 --> 00:02:05,058
Smith's team
is using it to make mini livers and a key
36
00:02:05,058 --> 00:02:09,095
part of the body scientists
have long struggled with — blood vessels.
37
00:02:09,362 --> 00:02:11,831
We consider that
to be the highway of life.
38
00:02:12,031 --> 00:02:14,767
Blood vessels are responsible
for delivering nutrients,
39
00:02:14,968 --> 00:02:17,036
oxygen and removing waste.
40
00:02:17,036 --> 00:02:21,141
Smith creates mini blood vessels on a chip
about the size of a quarter.
41
00:02:21,708 --> 00:02:26,246
These organs-on-a-chip
are a much better way to test drugs.
42
00:02:26,279 --> 00:02:29,482
Billions of dollars
are spent for drug development,
43
00:02:29,682 --> 00:02:32,852
and the traditional workhorse
has been animal models.
44
00:02:33,119 --> 00:02:37,190
But 90% of drugs
that worked in mice fail in human trials.
45
00:02:37,524 --> 00:02:40,860
I believe using these stem cells —
these human cells —
46
00:02:40,994 --> 00:02:44,731
we can reduce the cost of drug testing
and maybe come up with even
47
00:02:44,731 --> 00:02:49,569
more efficient drugs that actually have
profound effects on humans.
48
00:02:49,602 --> 00:02:50,870
We're not mice.
49
00:02:50,870 --> 00:02:53,306
So when can we 3D print a human liver?
50
00:02:53,573 --> 00:02:55,408
His best guess is...
51
00:02:55,408 --> 00:02:58,411
Let's say, 15 years, maybe 15 years.
52
00:02:58,711 --> 00:03:02,515
But Smith is doing it
on a small scale in his lab.
53
00:03:02,615 --> 00:03:05,218
We work with, let's say, a million cells.
54
00:03:05,451 --> 00:03:08,087
Our liver has 200 billion cells.
55
00:03:08,555 --> 00:03:11,391
So that's quite a scale up
process to achieve.
56
00:03:11,424 --> 00:03:12,926
But we have to start somewhere.
57
00:03:12,926 --> 00:03:18,298
And while we wait for that 3D printed
liver, scientists are now making insulin
58
00:03:18,298 --> 00:03:22,168
cells from stem cells to cure diabetes.
59
00:03:23,002 --> 00:03:27,674
The most exciting success
has been in the recent development of stem
60
00:03:27,674 --> 00:03:33,446
cell treatments for people with type one
diabetes, a horrible autoimmune disease
61
00:03:33,780 --> 00:03:37,217
that kills the insulin
producing beta cells in their body.
62
00:03:37,850 --> 00:03:40,853
Well, there have been techniques
using stem cell biology
63
00:03:41,421 --> 00:03:43,790
to create functional beta cells,
64
00:03:43,790 --> 00:03:46,626
and you can actually implant them back
into someone's body.
65
00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:51,898
And instead of taking insulin injections,
those implanted cells
66
00:03:51,898 --> 00:03:55,568
can respond to the diet that you have
and secrete the perfect amount of insulin.
67
00:03:56,102 --> 00:03:59,606
So there's been very promising
clinical trials that have actually proven
68
00:04:00,106 --> 00:04:03,543
that we could take stem cells
and cure diseases like type one diabetes.
69
00:04:04,410 --> 00:04:09,282
That's Quinton Smith turning science
fiction to reality at UC Irvine.
70
00:04:09,382 --> 00:04:11,284
I'm Natalie Tso for The Lab Beat,
71
00:04:11,284 --> 00:04:15,221
which is brought to you by the UC Irvine
Samueli School of Engineering.
00:00:02,769 --> 00:00:04,537
This is The Lab Beat,
2
00:00:04,537 --> 00:00:07,440
where we catch the pulse of cutting-edge
labs.
3
00:00:07,707 --> 00:00:08,775
I'm Natalie Tso.
4
00:00:08,775 --> 00:00:14,080
Imagine — if someone who needs a new liver
could just print one
5
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,084
with this 3D bioprinter
using a sample of their own cells.
6
00:00:19,019 --> 00:00:21,988
That's the vision behind stem
cell engineering.
7
00:00:22,722 --> 00:00:25,725
Popular Science named Quinton
Smith “a scientist
8
00:00:25,725 --> 00:00:29,262
on the cusp of changing the world” in 2023
9
00:00:29,929 --> 00:00:33,867
because of his 3D approach to stem
cell engineering.
10
00:00:34,467 --> 00:00:36,736
What inspired Smith
to get into this field?
11
00:00:37,570 --> 00:00:38,805
Science fiction.
12
00:00:38,805 --> 00:00:42,776
This idea that we can take any human cell
in the body,
13
00:00:42,876 --> 00:00:45,779
reprogram
it all the way to an embryonic state
14
00:00:46,112 --> 00:00:49,649
and create any cell type in the human body
for regenerative medicine.
15
00:00:49,916 --> 00:00:53,086
I kind of envision like a world
where maybe we don't need to take drugs,
16
00:00:53,319 --> 00:00:55,655
but maybe we can use the cell
as the therapy.
17
00:00:56,389 --> 00:00:58,792
This is how it would work
with a liver problem.
18
00:00:59,025 --> 00:01:01,327
Let's say my liver is failing, right?
19
00:01:01,528 --> 00:01:06,332
I take a biopsy of my skin, reprogram
those cells to an embryonic state, convert
20
00:01:06,332 --> 00:01:10,437
those cells to liver cells, mass produce
those liver cells.
21
00:01:10,770 --> 00:01:15,909
Use our 3D printer to organize those cells
in the way that our liver is structured
22
00:01:15,909 --> 00:01:19,913
— it has a beautiful, hexagonal pattern —
and then transplant
23
00:01:19,913 --> 00:01:21,581
that back into my body.
24
00:01:21,581 --> 00:01:23,650
I think it's a little bit science fiction.
25
00:01:23,950 --> 00:01:27,520
You can actually see different shows
using 3D printing, like Westworld
26
00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,957
is one of my favorite shows,
but I think that's feasible.
27
00:01:30,990 --> 00:01:32,692
I think that's possible.
28
00:01:32,692 --> 00:01:32,859
Ph.D.
29
00:01:32,859 --> 00:01:37,931
student Christopher Clark tells us
more about that cool 3D bioprinter.
30
00:01:38,031 --> 00:01:42,702
This is a Cell Ink Bio X bio printer
with three extrusion heads.
31
00:01:43,203 --> 00:01:46,406
If we want to mimic the architecture
of some parts of the human body,
32
00:01:46,539 --> 00:01:53,379
such as the alveoli of the lungs
or the shape of a liver cell environment,
33
00:01:53,613 --> 00:01:57,117
we can use a bioprinter to print cells
in confined
34
00:01:57,117 --> 00:02:00,220
geometries and in relation
to other cells that used to.
35
00:02:01,955 --> 00:02:05,058
Smith's team
is using it to make mini livers and a key
36
00:02:05,058 --> 00:02:09,095
part of the body scientists
have long struggled with — blood vessels.
37
00:02:09,362 --> 00:02:11,831
We consider that
to be the highway of life.
38
00:02:12,031 --> 00:02:14,767
Blood vessels are responsible
for delivering nutrients,
39
00:02:14,968 --> 00:02:17,036
oxygen and removing waste.
40
00:02:17,036 --> 00:02:21,141
Smith creates mini blood vessels on a chip
about the size of a quarter.
41
00:02:21,708 --> 00:02:26,246
These organs-on-a-chip
are a much better way to test drugs.
42
00:02:26,279 --> 00:02:29,482
Billions of dollars
are spent for drug development,
43
00:02:29,682 --> 00:02:32,852
and the traditional workhorse
has been animal models.
44
00:02:33,119 --> 00:02:37,190
But 90% of drugs
that worked in mice fail in human trials.
45
00:02:37,524 --> 00:02:40,860
I believe using these stem cells —
these human cells —
46
00:02:40,994 --> 00:02:44,731
we can reduce the cost of drug testing
and maybe come up with even
47
00:02:44,731 --> 00:02:49,569
more efficient drugs that actually have
profound effects on humans.
48
00:02:49,602 --> 00:02:50,870
We're not mice.
49
00:02:50,870 --> 00:02:53,306
So when can we 3D print a human liver?
50
00:02:53,573 --> 00:02:55,408
His best guess is...
51
00:02:55,408 --> 00:02:58,411
Let's say, 15 years, maybe 15 years.
52
00:02:58,711 --> 00:03:02,515
But Smith is doing it
on a small scale in his lab.
53
00:03:02,615 --> 00:03:05,218
We work with, let's say, a million cells.
54
00:03:05,451 --> 00:03:08,087
Our liver has 200 billion cells.
55
00:03:08,555 --> 00:03:11,391
So that's quite a scale up
process to achieve.
56
00:03:11,424 --> 00:03:12,926
But we have to start somewhere.
57
00:03:12,926 --> 00:03:18,298
And while we wait for that 3D printed
liver, scientists are now making insulin
58
00:03:18,298 --> 00:03:22,168
cells from stem cells to cure diabetes.
59
00:03:23,002 --> 00:03:27,674
The most exciting success
has been in the recent development of stem
60
00:03:27,674 --> 00:03:33,446
cell treatments for people with type one
diabetes, a horrible autoimmune disease
61
00:03:33,780 --> 00:03:37,217
that kills the insulin
producing beta cells in their body.
62
00:03:37,850 --> 00:03:40,853
Well, there have been techniques
using stem cell biology
63
00:03:41,421 --> 00:03:43,790
to create functional beta cells,
64
00:03:43,790 --> 00:03:46,626
and you can actually implant them back
into someone's body.
65
00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:51,898
And instead of taking insulin injections,
those implanted cells
66
00:03:51,898 --> 00:03:55,568
can respond to the diet that you have
and secrete the perfect amount of insulin.
67
00:03:56,102 --> 00:03:59,606
So there's been very promising
clinical trials that have actually proven
68
00:04:00,106 --> 00:04:03,543
that we could take stem cells
and cure diseases like type one diabetes.
69
00:04:04,410 --> 00:04:09,282
That's Quinton Smith turning science
fiction to reality at UC Irvine.
70
00:04:09,382 --> 00:04:11,284
I'm Natalie Tso for The Lab Beat,
71
00:04:11,284 --> 00:04:15,221
which is brought to you by the UC Irvine
Samueli School of Engineering.
