Organ Printing Milestone: First 3D-Printed Kidney Transplanted in Primates

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) announced on January 20 that its 3D-printed miniature kidney was successfully transplanted into a rhesus macaque and maintained kidney function for 90 days post-surgery. This marks the first time a 3D-printed organ has achieved long-term survival in primates.

The printed kidney used kidney cells differentiated from the patient's own induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), combined with biodegradable scaffold materials printed layer by layer. The organ is one-third the size of a normal rhesus macaque kidney, containing approximately 600,000 nephrons.

WFIRM director Anthony Atala stated: "The 90-day survival period is an important threshold, proving that printed organs can establish stable connections with the host vascular system." The team plans to initiate larger-scale primate trials by end of 2028, targeting survival periods exceeding one year.

The research has not yet undergone peer review, with the complete paper expected for publication in March 2028.