Restoring Movement in Paralyzed Mice! Bioprinting Brings Hope to Life | New Forces in Entrepreneurship
In the manufacturing industry, the use of 3D printing technology to produce molds, components, and more has become commonplace. But can you imagine a day when bioprinters can print tissues and organs needed by the human body?
Liang Bangchao, a doctoral student at Hunan University, is an entrepreneur who is continuously researching in the field of bioprinting and advanced manufacturing.
He founded Changsha Suling Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Suling Intelligent Manufacturing”), where the team has developed high-precision bioprinters and biomaterials, breaking the foreign monopoly on key core components of bioprinters and bringing hope to more medical treatment challenges.
PART.01Focusing on Market Pain Points, Letting Technological Innovation Serve Human Health
“Disruptive innovation often starts from the bottom.” As a doctoral student majoring in mechanical engineering, Liang Bangchao began focusing on the integration of medicine and engineering under the guidance of his mentor, Han Xiaoxiao, Vice Dean of the School of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering at Hunan University, starting in 2021.
During his doctoral studies, Liang Bangchao accompanied his mentor to visit hospitals and enterprises across the country for learning and communication. He keenly discovered that while 3D printing technology is very mature, bioprinting is still a relatively new topic.
“Bioprinting, as the name suggests, is the printing of living structures. In China, there are currently no applications of bioprinted living tissues in clinical medical fields.” Liang Bangchao told reporters that in reality, there are many patients who need organ transplants, but most of them cannot wait for a suitable organ match. Ideally, human tissues and organs printed using the patient’s own cells can effectively fill this gap and avoid rejection reactions.
Liang Bangchao conducting experiments in the laboratory at Hunan University
After finding the direction, under the guidance of his mentor, Liang Bangchao and his team, relying on the “Advanced Design and Manufacturing Research Institute of Precision Biomedical Devices” at the School of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering of Hunan University, devoted themselves to scientific research, focusing on the study of bioprinting and advanced manufacturing technology.
With the joint efforts of the team, they have achieved breakthroughs in multiple core technologies in design, materials, and equipment, proposing AI-assisted bionic unit controlled assembly algorithms, developing intelligent design software to fill the gap in this field; proposing new technologies for physical-chemical collaborative light scattering suppression to solve the manufacturing challenges of fine structures in cell-laden soft materials; and developing high-precision bioprinting equipment and processes to achieve rapid manufacturing of large-sized living tissues.
In order to transform scientific research results into practical applications, in 2022, Liang Bangchao established Changsha Suling Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd., dedicated to the research and production of bioprinting equipment and biomaterials.
PART.02Filling Market Gaps, Using Machines to Print Artificial Tissues and Organs
“Look, this experimental mouse is paralyzed in its hind limbs due to spinal cord injury. The bionic spinal cord repair scaffold we made in collaboration with the hospital has greatly improved the mouse’s condition, and it can actually crawl now.” In the incubation space of the Changsha Xiangjiang New Area College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park, Liang Bangchao played a video on his phone.
“Spinal cord injury has always been a challenge in the medical field. Being able to help paralyzed patients stand up would be a medical miracle. The experiment with the white mouse has given us hope. Currently, we are still working hard to overcome challenges and advance experiments, hoping to promote clinical trials and ultimately assist in the treatment of spinal cord injury patients,” Liang Bangchao revealed.
In fact, the research results of Liang Bangchao’s team are not limited to bionic spinal cord repair scaffolds. The bioprinters and printing materials they independently developed and produced have ultra-high printing precision and good biocompatibility, and can be applied in fields such as tissue engineering, tumor models, and vascular network models.
High-precision bioprinting materials developed and produced by Liang Bangchao’s team
“Currently, hospitals have used our bioprinting equipment to print tumor tissues and skin tissues for medical research,” Liang Bangchao revealed. By adopting a business model of “technology research and development + product manufacturing + market promotion,” Suling Intelligent Manufacturing has established a complete industrial chain from research and development to market.
“The human body is very complex. Our ultimate goal is to enable our technology to directly impact human treatment. There is a long way to go, but we have already taken the first step. In the future, we will also provide comprehensive technical support in collaboration with hospitals to advance this work,” Liang Bangchao stated.
PART.03Enjoying the Benefits of Entrepreneurship, Chasing the Blue Ocean of Future Medical Industry
“Entrepreneurship should adopt innovative methods to solve problems that others cannot solve, and create value for everyone and society by addressing market pain points.” From the laboratory to the market, Liang Bangchao has always kept in mind the original intention of entrepreneurship.
Liang Bangchao’s team at the annual meeting
To push scientific research results to the market, they frequently participate in various innovation and entrepreneurship competitions to showcase their projects and achievements, and have received a 200,000 yuan grant from the “Willow Branch Action” of the Xiangjiang New Area in Hunan.
In December 2024, the Hunan College Student Entrepreneurship Investment Fund was established. As soon as the fund was set up, it launched the “Hunan College Student Entrepreneurship Investment Fund Goes to Campus” initiative. Upon receiving the news, Liang Bangchao quickly submitted an application and successfully entered the investment decision review meeting, receiving a seed round investment of 1 million yuan.
In February of this year, Suling Intelligent Manufacturing became one of the first companies to settle in the College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park in Xiangjiang New Area. The innovation and entrepreneurship park not only exempted them from three years of rent, utility, and property fees but also established a mentor studio to provide training lectures on taxation, law, finance, and more.
“On the entrepreneurial road, we have received a lot of help, and leaders at the provincial, municipal, and district levels have paid great attention to us, providing significant policy support.” Liang Bangchao stated that by transforming laboratory research results into products that serve society, they have achieved a technology achievement transformation worth 20 million yuan.
To enhance the strength of independent research and production, Suling Intelligent Manufacturing also plans to set up a new production line in Xiangjiang New Area to ensure the quality and performance of the bioprinting equipment products they develop. “Currently, we have identified some locations, hoping our products can enter the vast biomedical market more quickly and bring more hope to those in need,” Liang Bangchao expressed.
