Did you know your bones and muscles are intrinsically connected and in uninterrupted communication to make your body properly function? How about the research on 3D bioprinting (and we’d like to emphasize on bio) to incorporate it into the medical field sooner that you may be imagining? Today’s episode is both educational and mind-blowing, as Dr. Rosie Sendher and Dr. Erica Fisk sit down with Dr. Marco Brotto and Dr. Venu Varanasi to chat about the fascinating concept of bone-muscle crosstalk and the no longer futuristic term of bioprinting.

Dr. Marco Brotto is a George & Mary Hazel Jay Endowed Professor, Director of the Bone-Muscle Collaborative Sciences and the Director of the Bone-Muscle Research Center. Fascinated by the musculoskeletal system from a very young age, Dr. Brotto has followed his passion to become an outstanding researcher in his field.

Dr. Venu Varanasi received his PhD at the University of Florida in the department of Chemical Engineering and is currently an assistant professor of Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University. Thanks to his research and work, he has developed an impressive and successful career in biomaterials and bioengineering.

Small changes can lead to a healthier life, and Jello could be the tissue of the future. As weird as the last part of that statement may sound, it is not even that far from the truth. This episode will certainly inspire you to pay closer attention to your bones and muscles, and will definitely blow your mind when you become aware of the technological and scientific advances that are making 3D bioprinting possible to this day. Listen now to learn all about fishy supplements, COVID-19’s impact on patients’ muscles and the possibility of the regeneration of entire organs in the near future.

In this episode we chat about:

  • (02:27) - The fascinating concept of Bone-Muscle Crosstalk — “Muscles and bones influence each other. We’re not necessarily thinking of them communicating with one another.” 
  • (15:55) - The do’s and don'ts of supplements for our muscles — “With just a little bit we change the entire routine of that person from unhealthy to extremely healthy.”
  • (26:51) - How is the Bone-Muscle Research Center impacting its field? — “One of our major goals is the training of a new generation of bone-muscle researchers.”
  • (35:09) - On the incorporation of 3D Bioprinting and biomaterials in the surgery space — “When you image and you print or you wait for an implant to come in, the problem is that the defect will change over that time period, even after a few hours or days.”
  • (53:00) - How Bioprinting is changing the game by regenerating muscles — “Muscle defects are a huge problem for patios and soldiers in the battlefield.” 
  • (57:00) - What biomaterials are being utilized in these procedures? — “It is a silicon based material, gelatin and Jello, and we integrate these together.”
  • (01:03:23) - COVID-19’s impact at a muscular level and the relevance of behavioural changes in favor of our health — “This is an aging virus basically. It looks like it accelerates the aging process in the organs. That’s the battle we have to fight.” 
  • (01:10:52) - Where are the limitations regarding bioprinting and what does the future hold for this field’s research and development?  — “The main issue right now is the resolution of the printer itself.”

Resources

Bone-Muscle Research Center

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