California-based Auxilium Biotechnologies has successfully bioprinted kidney and liver tissue aboard the International Space Station for the first time, marking a potential breakthrough in regenerative medicine manufacturing.
What Happened
Auxilium's AMP-1 orbital bioprinter conducted experiments aboard the ISS in June 2026. The machine used cell and tissue designs from the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) in North Carolina. In addition to kidney and liver tissues, the AMP-1 also produced cartilage tissue and 28 nerve repair implants during the mission. According to Auxilium CEO Jacob Koffler, 'The ability to manufacture multiple tissue types alongside clinically relevant medical products highlights both the versatility and scalability of our technology.' The bioprinted materials were returned to Earth on a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule that splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on June 17.
Why It Matters
This marks the first time either kidney or liver tissue has been manufactured in space. WFIRM director Anthony Atala stated, 'Successfully bioprinting living liver and kidney tissue aboard the International Space Station marks an important step forward for regenerative medicine. The uniform cell distribution achieved aboard the space station points to real possibilities for manufacturing medical devices and tissues in space.' Auxilium's engineering vice president Isac Lazarovits emphasized that demonstrating multiple product classes within a single mission represents 'an important milestone as we continue advancing toward routine manufacturing operations in orbit.' The company says this flexibility could prove significant as commercial interests expand manufacturing hubs in space for biotech, healthcare, and advanced materials development.
The Bottom Line
Auxilium's AMP-1 bioprinter is the first tool to produce multiple types of tissue in space and the first to make kidney and liver tissue off Earth. While this was not the first bioprinting experiment on the ISS—Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko tested a machine called 'Bioprinter Organ.Aut' in 2018—the achievement demonstrates growing capabilities for orbital biomanufacturing, with SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule serving as the critical link returning these materials to Earth.