Researchers have developed a 3D-printed device comprising insulin-producing cells, offering potential for long-term management of type 1 diabetes by enabling patients to generate their own insulin without invasive surgery.

Type 1 diabetes patients typically lack the ability to produce enough insulin to manage their blood sugar levels, necessitating regular insulin injections and dietary precautions. A common long-term approach involves transplanting clusters of insulin-producing cells from a donor’s pancreas. However, similar to organ transplants, this method requires invasive surgical procedures.

Quentin Perrier from Wake Forest Research Institute in North Carolina explains, “Currently, the procedure involves injecting human islets into the liver through the portal vein.” Unfortunately, around half of these implanted islets lose their function quickly, necessitating multiple transplants for effective treatment.

By placing islets directly beneath the skin, not only does it minimize surgical invasiveness, but it also alleviates stress and inflammation, factors that can shorten the lifespan of the cells.

Adam Feinberg from Carnegie Mellon University and Fluidform Bio states, “The greater the density, the better the outcome. This approach will reduce the size of the devices required for implantation in patients.”

To achieve this increased density, Perrier and his team utilize 3D printing to create islands from “bioinks” composed of human pancreatic tissue and alginates, a type of carbohydrate derived from seaweed. Living insulin-producing cells are incorporated into this material.

“We combine this bioink with human islets in a syringe and print specialized motifs,” Perrier elaborates. This porous design allows for the development of new blood vessels around the structure.

In laboratory settings, this technique has proven effective, with about 90% of the cells in the islet surviving and functioning for up to three weeks. “The next step is to rigorously test this finding in vivo,” Perrier added. Their research was shared at the 2025 European Organ Transplant Association (ESOT) conference in London on June 29th.

Feinberg and his team have also undertaken the 3D printing of islets themselves. Their technique involves creating a framework akin to “3D printing within a hair gel” by printing cells and collagen directly onto a hydrogel polymer. This was showcased at the International Pancreatic and Islet Transplant Association conference in Pisa, Italy, on June 16th. In diabetic laboratory mice, these islets managed to restore normal glucose control for up to six months.

While Perrier’s findings are “undoubtedly promising,” Feinberg cautions that the inherent variability of human tissues employed in creating the islands can present challenges. “It’s akin to receiving a transplanted organ,” he notes. “The material may function exceptionally well, yet its variability poses challenges and complicates the situation.”

Both Feinberg and Perrier concur that stem cell therapy may hold the key to the future of managing type 1 diabetes. By integrating stem cells into their 3D printing process, they believe this approach could address multiple challenges associated with current cell sources.