The heart is made from the first 3D printing technology with human tissue and blood vessels that have been published by scientists. This achievement is considered a major breakthrough in the field of health. That’s paving the way for transplants without donors.

The heart is about the size of a cherry, made from a patient’s tissue. This tissue is also used to create a biological ink. The heart was designed by researchers at Tel Aviv University to be about the size of a rabbit’s heart.

This is the first time anyone anywhere can successfully create and print the entire heart with cells, blood vessels and ventricles. Researchers must make the artificial heart work like a real heart. Currently, the cells can only contract and not pump. But they hope to transplant a small heart into an animal next year.

Professor Tal Dvir is a project leader. He said that in 10 years there will be organ printers in the best hospitals in the world and these processes will be conducted regularly.

About 7 million people suffer from heart disease and circulatory system diseases in the UK and 152,000 people die each year. For many people, a heart transplant is the only option but the number of donors is limited.

Even with the donor’s heart, the body can be excreted and the patient must be placed on medication. That lowers the immune system leaving them at risk of infections and complications.

However, hearts made from the 3D printing technology will be developed from the patients themselves. Dr Dvir said the patient’s tissue use is important because it can eliminate the risk of rejection.

The team is currently exploring ways to develop enough human cells so they can create a heart the size of a human.