Imagine trying to grow fragile blood-forming cells in a lab, but they keep dying because the surface is too rough. This project creates a special 'ink' made from silk that acts like a soft, protective cushion, mimicking the natural environment of human bone marrow. It allows scientists to 3D print a realistic miniature version of bone marrow to test new medicines without needing animal trials.
Current in vitro models cannot accurately replicate the soft tissue environment of human bone marrow, making it difficult to culture fragile stem cells. This limits the effectiveness of drug development and personalized medicine for hematological diseases.
A silk-based bioink optimized for 3D bioprinting with specific viscosity and stiffness to support the viability and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells.
If you are a drug discovery firm dealing with high failure rates in animal testing for blood diseases — this project developed a silk-based bioink that enables high-throughput drug discovery using human-specific models. This reduces the reliance on animals and improves the accuracy of early-stage testing.
If you are a clinic dealing with patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced bone marrow failure — this project developed a 3D printing platform that uses minimal cells from patients to screen for the most effective treatments. This allows for tailored therapy based on the patient's own biological response.
If you are a bioprinting hardware provider dealing with a lack of specialized materials for hematological research — this project developed a validated silk bioink with optimized viscosity and stiffness. This expands the range of compatible biological tissues your machines can produce.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not mentioned, but the project aims to found an investment-ready spin-off company to commercialize the product.
The project involves CELLINK, a partner responsible for product development, and focuses on creating standardized printing protocols to ensure high repeatability and fidelity.
The University of Pavia and CELLINK co-own the background IP developed during the previous SilkFUSION project.
The bioink is designed for 3D bioprinting, allowing researchers to create models in the specific shape or volume desired for their experiments.
The project runs from June 2023 to May 2026, with the goal of creating an investment-ready spin-off by the end of the period.
The consortium is highly commercially oriented, with a 75% industry ratio consisting of 3 industrial partners (including 2 SMEs) and 1 university. The presence of CELLINK for product development and Catalyze-Group for venture building indicates a strong push toward market entry and the creation of a spin-off company.
Contact the University of Pavia regarding the SILKink spin-off development.
Contact us to connect with the SILKink consortium for early adoption or investment opportunities.
