NEOLIVER

Revolutionizing Liver Transplantation with Bioprinting

Abstract:

Despite remarkable advancements in organ transplantation, the shortage of transplantable organs remains critical. Each year, 25% of patients with end-stage liver disease on the donor waiting list tragically pass away, highlighting the urgent need for alternatives to organ donations. Bioprinting offers a groundbreaking solution, enabling the creation of organs from scratch. However, this technology faces significant technical, biological, and procedural challenges.

The NEOLIVER project aims to overcome these hurdles by developing large, dense, and vascularized bioprinted liver constructs that are fully functional and suitable for transplantation. To achieve this, we are establishing a GMP-compliant manufacturing line for standardized production, ensuring unmatched quality and safety for future patients.

By leveraging patient-derived organoids and supporting cells, including endothelial cells, we will generate millions of multicellular spheroids—the essential building blocks for bioprinting. Using laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) technology, we will precisely deposit these spheroids and vessels at high density to create vascularized liver constructs. Additionally, extrusion-based bioprinting will allow us to integrate functional blood vessels, enabling the production of the world’s first autologous bioprinted liver, ready for transplantation.

To validate safety and efficacy, these bioprinted liver constructs will be transplanted into immune-deficient pigs. Coupled with a comprehensive clinical validation plan, upscaling strategy, and Health Technology Assessment—including patient acceptance—NEOLIVER will prepare these constructs for first-in-human trials.

Through this innovative approach, NEOLIVER provides a disruptive and life-saving alternative to donor organs for patients with end-stage liver disease.

List of participants:

N.	Participant organisation name	Short name	Country
1	UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT	UU	Netherlands
2	DWI LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR INTERAKTIVE MATERIALIEN EV	DWI	Germany
3	FUNDACION INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACION SANITARIA ARAGON	IISA	Spain
4	KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN	KUL	Belgium
5	PHOSPRINT IDIOTIKI KEFALAIOUXIKIETAIREIA	PHOS	Greece
6	REGEN BIOMEDICAL BV	ReGEN	Netherlands
7	BETTHERA SRO	BETT	Czech Republic
8	AMIRES SRO	AMI	Czech Republic
9	CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D’ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA – RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENT	CSEM	Switzerland
10	KUGELMEIERS AG	KUG	Switzerland
11	CELLNTEC ADVANCED CELL SYSTEMS AG	CnT	Switzerland
12	ERASMUS UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM ROTTERDAM	EMC	Netherlands

Contact persons:	Coordinator:	Project Manager:
Name	Prof. Bart Spee	Martina Nešverová
Organisation	UU	AMI
Email	B.Spee@uu.nl	nesverova@amires.eu

This project has been co-funded from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101191649, project NEOLIVER.