Breast reconstruction and augmentation options are limited and come with significant health risks. Artificial silicone or saline implants must be replaced within 10 to 15 years. Breast reconstruction using autologous tissue flaps, taking tissue from another part of the patient’s body, also faces potential future health issues and complications at the extraction site with having enough tissue for the procedure. A research group led by Dr. Luba Perry out of The Lewis Lab and the Wyss Institute and in collaboration with Prof. Christopher Chen at Boston University has developed a 3D organ engineering platform technology to provide a more reliable, safer, and durable breast reconstruction and augmentation solution.

The team brings together expertise in vascular engineering, biofabrication, 3D bioprinting, and reconstructive surgery. The technology focuses on recapitulate adipose tissue, creating customized and vascularized fat tissue, and has the potential to transform the field of breast reconstruction, ensuring immediate integration and sustained functionality. The technology stands out for its patient-specific approach, eliminating the need for donor sites and associated complications.

A startup emerging from this research, ReConstruct, is further developing the tissue therapeutic technology, to reshape the landscape of soft tissue reconstruction and significantly improve patient outcomes. Beyond breast reconstruction, this technology has potential applications in various reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries, as well as in treating metabolic disorders.