Functional Organs of the body
As of 2025, we still cannot reliably produce fully functional, transplant-ready versions of the following organs:
- Whole heart
- Whole liver
- Whole kidney
- Whole lungs
The main bottleneck is creating a robust, complex, and durable vascular (blood vessel) system throughout the entire organ so that blood flows correctly and all tissues receive enough oxygen and nutrients.
That said, ongoing breakthroughs suggest that printed organs will gradually move from lab experiments to early human trials over the next few decades.
Estimated Timelines (Rough, Research-Based)
- First experimental human implant of a printed kidney: roughly 2030–2035
- Commercial printed kidney/heart/liver: roughly 2035–2045
- On-demand organ printing at major hospitals: roughly 2045–2055