Sky News
3D-printed blood vessels which closely mimic the properties of human veins could transform the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, scientists have said. In a two-stage process, a team of researchers led by the University of Edinburgh's School of Engineering used a rotating spindle integrated into a 3D printer to create tubular grafts made from a water-based gel. Next, they reinforced the printed graft in a process known as electrospinning, which uses high voltage to draw out thin nanofibers, coating the artificial blood vessel in biodegradable polyester molecules.