Marta Czyz

POLBIONICA

POLBIONICA is a spin off from the Foundation of Research and Science Development, bringing to market the research developed in the BIONIC project. Our mission is to introduce 3D bioprinting of the bionic pancreas to clinical practice worldwide.The BIONIC consortium is implementing the project "3D bioprinting of scaffolds using live pancreatic islands or insulin-producing cells to create a bionic pancreas" as part of the STRATEGMED program funded by the National Center for Research and Development. The scientific team in March 2019 was successful – a prototype of a bionic organ was printed. POLBIONICA is developing the first bionic pancreas suitable for transplantation, based on bioprinted 3D scaffolds, functional vessels and pancreatic islets. In the next step, it is planned to replace the pancreatic islets by stem cells transformed into alpha and beta cells. With this approach, the patient does not have to wait for donor cells as it uses pluripotent stem cells from patients' own tissues (which do not require an intervention on the patient's pancreas and can be harvested from bone marrow blood and fatty tissue with minimally invasive procedures). POLBIONICA is bringing to market the key building blocks supporting the development of a bionic pancreas – a novel bioreactor, tailored bioinks and 3D printing method.