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The 3D Bioprinting Lab

at Medical University of Innsbruck

nude mouse nano coating 3D printed rings

 

3Rs: Replacement - Reduction - Refinement

of Animal Experiments

Most biomedical applications and therapies have to be tested in experimental animals before they may be used in patients. However, animal experiments can be significantly reduced by extensive in vitro testing, if the in vitro models efficiently reflect the in vivo situation. This is not possible with conventional 2D cell culture, whereas 3D cell culture models or 3D engineered tissue surrogates better mimic the function / therapy-response of (tumor) tissue in vivo.

Thereby, a reduction, refinement and in the best case also a replacement of animal experiments is possible with advanced 3D cell culture techniques and 3D bio-printed tissue surrogates.  

It is one of our main interests to reduce or replace animal experiments in biomedical research. We believe that with our innovative 3D bioreactor systems, bioprinting-based tissue engineering and human Tissue-on-Chip models we will significantly contribute to the development of techniques to reduce animal experiments in biomedical research and drug testing. Therefore we are partners of the “MUI animalFree research cluster"  at Medical University Innsbruck and member of The RepRefRed Society.