Several media outlets, including Läkartidningen, Göteborgs-Posten, SVT Nyheter and VGR Focus, have reported that Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg was granted approval by regulatory authorities to implant 3D printed tissue in humans. The goal is to use the patient’s own fat tissue components, extracted after liposuction, together with marine-derived biomaterials (TUNICELL and alginate), to 3D-bioprint and reconstruct and repair soft tissue.
At Ocean TuniCell we are excited to see that TUNICELL is now moving into clinical implementation. This is a major milestone!
Professor Lars Kölby at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and University of Gothenburg explains to VGR focus:
“These implants can be tailored for each patient, and in the long run one could imagine using them, for example, to reconstruct breasts after breast cancer surgery. The big advantage is being able to reconstruct soft tissue with the body’s own material, printed into the desired shape.”
In the implants developed by Professor Lars Kölby’s research team, they do not use individual adipose cells but rather the lipoaspirate extracted after liposuction which contains connective tissue and small parts of blood vessels. The lipoaspirate is then mixed with TUNICELL and alginate.
Professor Kölby commented to Göteborgs-Posten:
“This is where the magic happens — the blood vessel fragments find each other and connect, grow, and form a network of vessels with blood that supplies the fat cells in the implant with nutrients and oxygen”
Previous research results by Professor Kölby’s team have shown vascularization of the lipoaspirate-TUNICELL constructs in animal models (Amoroso et al. 2021, Säljö et al. 2022).
The vascularization of the construct allows larger constructs to be implanted and the future goal is to use the body’s own tissue for breast reconstruction.
“This is a medical breakthrough” says Professor Kölby to Göteborgs-Posten.
He further adds in Läkartidningen that Sahlgrenska University Hospital will initiate the recruitment of patients for this study in 2025. They will recruit patients who are scheduled for abdominoplasty. The recovered fat tissue components can then be combined with TUNICELL to 3D print small constructs to be implanted into the patient’s upper arms.
After several months, the constructs will be surgically removed together with the surrounding tissue as part of an arm lift procedure for analysis.
Professor Kölby and his Ph.D. student, Kristin Oskarsdotter, also gave a TV interview on svt.se: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/vast/sahlgrenska-ska-operera-in-3d-printade-vavnader-i-patienter
The complete news articles can be found at the links below. Please also view our scientific publications to read more about TUNICELL and soft tissue reconstruction https://oceantunicell.com/product/#performance.
References:
Jannika Wasastjerna (2025-07-30), Göteborgs-Posten: https://www.gp.se/nyheter/goteborg/sahlgrenska-far-gora-forsok-med-3d-printad-vavnad-pa-manniskor.b4358e5e-7f48-4d72-b9d7-223ca27b70f6
Ingrid Fredriksson (2025-07-11), VGR Focus: https://vgrfokus.se/2025/07/sahlgrenska-universitetssjukhuset-inleder-forsok-med-3d-printing-for-att-rekonstruera-mjukdelar-till-patienter/
Helena Wrete (2025-07-11), Läkartidningen: https://lakartidningen.se/aktuellt/nyheter/2025/07/3d-bioprintade-implantat-ska-testas-pa-manniskor-i-host/
Carl Malmborg (2025-08-12), SVT Nyheter: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/vast/sahlgrenska-ska-operera-in-3d-printade-vavnader-i-patienter
Amoroso M, Apelgren P, Säljö K, Montelius M, Orrhult L, Engström M, Gatenholm P, Kölby L (2021) Functional and morphological studies of in vivo vascularization of 3D-bioprinted human fat grafts, Bioprinting, 23, e00162.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bprint.2021.e00162
Säljö K, Apelgren P, Orrhult L, Li S, Amoroso M, Gatenholm P, Kölby L (2022) Long-term in vivo survival of 3D-bioprinted human lipoaspirate-derived adipose tissue: proteomic signature and cellular content, Adipocyte: 11:1, 34-46.
https://doi.org/10.1080/21623945.2021.2014179