White House Invests $160M In Artificial Tissue Biofabrication Technology
The White House has launched an initiative to reduce the amount of time patients have wait for organ donations, by encouraging and facilitating living donation and by investing in new technology that could provide artificial alternatives to living tissue. Together with a group of universities and private sector companies, the Department of Defense (DOD) plans to invest $160 million in the Advanced Tissue Biofabrication Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ATB-MII).
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that there are 121,272 Americans on the donor waiting list, and though 30,000 organ transplants were performed last year, a new patient is added to the list every 10 minutes. President Obama prioritized improving patient access to organ transplantation in his latest State of the Union address, and this latest initiative builds on efforts implemented in recent years, according to a White House fact sheet.
“Researchers have the potential to repair or replace tissues and organs, reduce waitlists for organ transplants, and potentially reduce health care cost for treatments — but we must continue to invest in breakthrough research and development,” the fact sheet stated.
The ATB-MII, which represents $160 million of the $200 million pledged by the White House to this most recent effort, is aimed at increasing U.S. competitiveness in artificial tissue biofabrication and streamlined manufacturing techniques that can move the latest innovations to market faster, while adhering to guidance and regulation of the FDA.
There are currently eight different manufacturing innovation institutes (MII) established in a national network, and there are six more in the works, according to the Federal Business Opportunities website. The purpose of MIIs is to “bridge the gap between basic research and product development” by allowing industries, academia, and federal agencies to share assets and work together to produce disruptive technologies and repair “fragmented manufacturing ecosystems.”
“Due to the building of three dimensional tissue analogs now being technically feasible, it is time to bridge the disruptive technologies forged through biofabrication innovation with the U.S. industrial and manufacturing sector,” including product preservation and quality control, according to the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
In addition to the funding earmarked for the ATB-MII, the Pentagon announced several smaller grants for small businesses that are developing artificial organ technology or technology that can extend the viability of living donations.
Non-profit organizations such as the American Society of Nephrology and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation have pledged millions to advance research in improving artificial organ technology and improving transplant outcomes. An effective artificial alternative could replace the patient’s organ permanently or at least bridge the gap between organ failure and receipt of a suitable living donation.