A new method for growing and bioprinting cartilage could help patch up noses damaged by skin cancer Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed a new technique for 3D printing cartilage in custom shapes. This can be used to reconstruct the noses of skin cancer patients, saving them the trouble of having cartilage samples taken from other parts of the body.

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The nose is one of the most common places for skin cancer to form – understandable, given how much sun it’s exposed to. Treatment often requires the removal of sections of skin and cartilage but, given the nose’s prominence on the face, people will want those deformities patched up. Usually, that’s done using cartilage taken from another part of the body, such as the ribs. But that in turn raises more problems – it’s invasive, can lead to further complications, and the cartilage samples don’t always blend well with the shape of the nose. In the new study, the Alberta team grew replacement cartilage in the lab. This solves both problems, since samples don’t need to be taken from elsewhere in the body and they can be shaped exactly as needed to fit into their new home. […]

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