Following coverage by CTV News and Global News, Dr. Darcy Wagner explains how her team is pioneering extrusion-based 3D bioprinting to fabricate lung tissue using materials designed specifically for the respiratory system. Her work is underscoring how close we may be to a new era of personalized respiratory medicine.
Unlike conventional 3D printing, Dr. Wagner’s approach uses living cells suspended in a liquid polymer: a body-compatible material that solidifies after printing through a controlled chemical trigger. The process mirrors standard 3D printing, but replaces heat and cooling with cell-friendly conditions that keep living tissue viable. Importantly, while 3D bioprinting itself is not new, this is the first time lung-specific materials have been engineered and printed in this way.
The motivation is urgent. Globally, only about 7,000 lung transplants are performed each year, while millions of patients could potentially benefit. Even for those fortunate enough to receive a transplant, lung outcomes remain the poorest among solid organ transplants. Dr. Wagner’s solution aims to bypass this bottleneck entirely.
Her team is developing 3D-printed lung “bridges”, custom tissue patches that reconnect healthy lung regions around damaged areas. This approach could be especially transformative for lung and airway cancers, where disease is often localized. Rather than replacing an entire lung, surgeons could reconstruct only the affected segment, preserving the rest of the organ.
Encouragingly, preclinical mouse studies have shown no signs of tissue rejection, with the printed materials actively promoting new blood vessel growth from the recipient. These findings reinforce the promise of a regenerative, rather than replacement-based, strategy.
While human trials are not yet imminent, the next critical step is scaling up the printed tissues beyond those suitable for animal models. If successful, this work could one day reduce dependence on lung transplantation and offer new hope to patients with otherwise irreversible lung damage.
Read More
3D-printed lung tissue by MUHC researcher could revolutionize respiratory care. CTV News. By Rachel Lau. December 31, 2025.
McGill bioengineer creates lung tissue using 3D printing. Global News. By Phil Carpenter. December 12, 2025.