3D print tech 'new hope for diabetes cure'

A MAJOR breakthrough in 3D printing could transform the way Type 1 diabetes is treated, bringing a cure closer than ever.

- By Lucy Johnston SOCIAL AFFAIRS EDITOR

In a world first, scientists have successfully printed functioning human islets tiny cell clusters in the pancreas that produce insulin.

They used special “bio-ink” made from real pancreatic tissue, and the printed islets can be implanted just beneath the skin in a simple, low-risk procedure.

Crucially, the bioprinted islets responded just like real ones releasing insulin when blood sugar rose and stopping when it dropped, as per the body's natural rhythms.

The pioneering work is revealed today at the International Transplant Congress 2025 in London, and experts have described it as

'It's about making cell therapy accessible'

"a game-changer for diabetes care". Scientist Dr Quentin Perrier called it "incredibly exciting" and said the technology could one day eliminate the need for daily insulin jabs.

He said: "We're getting closer to an off-the-shelf therapy that could restore natural insulin production. This could completely change how we treat diabetes."

Current islet transplants which are expensive and often short-lived require donor tissue to be infused into the liver, which requires a hospital stay and can lead to cell loss and rejection.