From print to patient: 3D-printed personalized nerve regeneration

3D printing is revolutionizing regenerative medicine and accelerating the pace of biological discovery via its ability to interweave materials and components of disparate properties, guided by anatomical digital templates. These capabilities have led to a breakthrough in the customization and personalization of complex biological systems and devices ranging from platform technologies such as organs-on-a-chip, to implantable devices, such as patient-specific scaffolds. Yet, understanding and regenerating the nervous system has historically provided a challenging benchmark for drug therapy, surgical methods and bioengineering strategies. The question we pose is can: 3D printing be utilized to address these scientific standards? In principle, extrusion-based 3D printing should offer the ability to flexibly interweave multiple materials, over various length scales, while incorporating diverse functionalities. This may allow the ability to expand biological design paradigms and develop them into novel personalized device architectures. Indeed, 3D printing appears poised to offer an exciting future in the realization of personalized anatomical nerve pathways and platforms for point-of-care opportunities from print to patient.