Penn State Professor Joins $20 Million Bioprinting Initiative

Xiaojun Lian, an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Penn State, is participating in a significant project focused on alleviating the shortage of compatible liver transplants. This initiative, known as the Genesis Mission, is funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) PRINT program.

The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation has received nearly $20 million to lead a collaborative effort to bioprint transplantable liver tissue. In 2020, approximately 25,000 individuals were on the liver transplant waiting list, but only 38% received an organ due to compatibility issues. Many patients with end-stage liver disease face challenges in obtaining transplants because of the limited number of organ donors.

Lian's role in Phase One of the Genesis Mission involves researching methods to minimize immune responses, enabling the body to accept the bioprinted organ. The project aims to engineer a liver that closely resembles a human organ, potentially eliminating the need for traditional immunosuppressants. If successful, this research could pave the way for a donor-independent solution to the liver transplant shortage.