A startup manufactured 3D-printed kidney and liver tissues in space.

      Auxilium Biotechnologies has successfully bioprinted kidney and liver tissue on the International Space Station, marking the first occasion that either has been created in space. The samples returned to Earth last month via a SpaceX cargo capsule, with the company revealing the findings on Thursday.

      This achievement wasn't an isolated event; during the same mission, Auxilium’s AMP-1 orbital printer also produced cartilage tissue and 28 nerve-repair implants. The firm claims this is the first instance of three different tissue types being generated on a single spaceflight and a first for a multi-product manufacturing platform in space.

      Why conduct printing in space? The answer lies in gravity—or rather, the absence of it. On Earth, soft living tissue often collapses before it solidifies, forcing printers to rely on scaffolds and thickening agents to maintain shape. In microgravity, tissue can retain its form while the cells distribute evenly. Dr. Anthony Atala from Wake Forest, whose institute contributed the cells and designs, noted that the "uniform cell distribution" observed in orbit indicates significant potential.

      It should be clarified that these are small tissue samples, not transplant-ready organs. Reaching the point where a printed kidney could be implanted in a patient is still several years away, primarily due to the complex challenge of integrating blood vessels into dense tissue.

      In the near term, the primary application is research. The technique can be used to create organoids, miniature lab-grown tissue models that simulate actual organs. Pharmaceutical companies utilize these models to assess whether a drug is effective or toxic, without using humans or animals.

      This is particularly timely as U.S. regulators are advocating for reduced animal testing, with the FDA identifying organoids as a preferred alternative. Currently, labs create these models on Earth and transport them to space; producing them in orbit on demand could streamline this process.

      There is a strategic business aspect to this scientific endeavor. The ISS is expected to be decommissioned around 2031, and several commercial space stations are set to take its place. Auxilium is preparing its printers for this transition, naming station developers Vast and Starlab as partners, with future plans for manufacturing on the Moon.

      This initiative builds upon a previous Auxilium mission that fabricated nerve-repair devices on the ISS. At present, orbital bioprinting serves as a research tool rather than a production facility. However, the argument is that the challenging task of cultivating human tissue may be more feasible off the planet.