The Future of the Human Body

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The Legs: Get ready for a new age of "tissue on demand," built in the lab
Organ-printing technology

Organovo is working at the cutting edge of regenerative medicine. The San Diego–based company is developing organ-printing technology that CEO Keith Murphy says will usher in a new age of "tissue on demand," built in the lab. Using droplets of "bio ink" made of cells taken from a patient's body, Organovo's bioprinter lays down a three-dimensional pattern that assembles itself into a new organ. The company is focusing first on building arteries to be used in bypass procedures -- initially for the legs, and eventually for the heart. Cardiac bypass procedures now use only so-called native blood vessels taken from another part of the patient's body. The vessels are sometimes damaged in the process, which makes the graft vulnerable to failure. Organovo's technology would give surgeons the advantage of starting with a "fresh" blood vessel that the body will still recognize as its own. The company is testing the technology as a replacement for the synthetic grafts now often used in leg bypass procedures, which must often be redone when they become clogged. But once Organovo can establish the technology in the leg, says Murphy, the company is looking to play a role in the 450,000 cardiac bypass surgeries performed in the U.S. annually. The company, whose co-founder and chief scientific officer, Gabor Forgacs, developed the technology with the backing of a $5 million National Science Foundation grant, is planning to begin animal studies at the University of Wisconsin this year.

The Knees: A system that allows surgeons to work 30 percent faster
A better artificial joint

Knees do so much for us. and though the benefits of physical activity are undeniable, the active life -- skiing, tennis, Ironman triathlons -- takes its toll. So it should come as no surprise that knee replacement -- surgically subbing in artificial parts for the entire knee or its component parts -- is big business. U.S. orthopedists perform about 500,000 knee replacements a year. About 70 percent of these are in people over 65, but younger patients with mild osteoarthritis are a growing market. It's these younger folks whom Burlington, Massachusetts–based ConforMIS is aiming for. Rather than replacing the entire knee, a procedure that is common in older patients, the ConforMIS system uses detailed imaging scans to create patient-specific implants that "resurface" the joint. And whereas similar systems require the orthopedist to painstakingly shape the patient's bone to fit a handful of available implant models, the ConforMIS system, which has been in use in the U.S. and Europe for about a year, fits the part to the knee. Surgeons using the ConforMIS system complete procedures in 30 percent less time. The company also holds patents for applying the technology to the hip, ankle, and spine. CEO Philipp Lang says the company is in a phase of "aggressive growth," building a sales force to tap into a potential $6 billion global market in knees alone. The pitch appears to have worked on investors. In July, ConforMIS announced it had raised nearly $50 million -- on top of $30 million raised over the past five years.

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Adam Bluestein

A former editor at Real Simple, Adam Bluestein writes frequently about innovation and new technology. He lives with his wife and two children in Burlington, Vermont.

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