Human organs could be bioprinted for transplants within 10 years, according to Lithuanian startup Vital3D. But before reaching human hearts and kidneys, the company is starting with something simpler: regenerating dog skin.

Based in Vilnius, Vital3D is already bioprinting functional tissue constructs. Using a proprietary laser system, the startup deposits living cells and biomaterials in precise 3D patterns. The structures mimic natural biological systems — and could one day form entire organs tailored to a patient’s unique anatomy.

That mission is both professional and personal for CEO Vidmantas Šakalys. After losing a mentor to urinary cancer, he set out to develop 3D-printed kidneys that could save others from the same fate. But before reaching that goal, the company needs a commercial product to fund the long road ahead.

That product is VitalHeal — the first-ever bioprinted wound patch for pets. Dogs are the initial target, with human applications slated to follow.

Šakalys calls the patch “a first step” towards bioprinted kidneys. “Printing organs for transplantation is a really challenging task,” he tells TNW after a tour of his lab. “It’s 10 or 15 years away from now, and as a commercial entity, we need to have commercially available products earlier. So we start with simpler products and then move into more difficult ones.”

The path may be simpler, but the technology is anything but.

Bioprinting goes to the vet

VitalHeal is embedded with growth factors that accelerate skin regeneration.

Across the patch’s surface, tiny pores about one-fifth the width of a human hair enable air circulation while blocking bacteria. Once applied, VitalHeal seals the wound and maintains constant pressure while the growth factors get to work.

According to Vital3D, the patch can reduce healing time from 10–12 weeks to just four to six. Infection risk can drop from 30% to under 10%, vet visits from eight to two or three, and surgery times by half.

Current treatments, the startup argues, can be costly, ineffective, and distressing for animals. VitalHeal is designed to provide a safer, faster, and cheaper alternative.

Vital3D says the market is big — and the data backs up the claim.

Commercial prospects

The global animal wound care market is projected to grow from $1.4bn (€1.24bn) in 2024 to $2.1bn (€1.87bn) by 2030, fuelled by rising pet ownership and demand for advanced veterinary care. Vital3D forecasts an initial serviceable addressable market (ISAM) of €76.5mn across the EU and US. By 2027-2028, the company aims to sell 100,000 units.

Dogs are a logical starting point. Their size, activity levels, and surgeries raise their risk of wounds. Around half of dogs over age 10 are also affected by cancer, further increasing demand for effective wound care.

At €300 retail (or €150 wholesale), the patches won’t be cheap. But Vital3D claims they could slash treatment costs for pet owners from €3,000 to €1,500. Production at scale is expected to bring prices down further. 

After strong results in rats, trials on dogs will begin this summer in clinics in Lithuania and the UK — Vital3D’s pilot markets.

If all goes to plan, a non-degradable patch will launch in Europe next year. The company will then progress to a biodegradable version.

From there, the company plans to adapt the tech for humans. The initial focus will be wound care for people with diabetes, 25% of whom suffer from impaired healing. Future versions could support burn victims, injured soldiers, and others in need of advanced skin restoration.

Vital3D is also exploring other medical frontiers. In partnership with Lithuania’s National Cancer Institute, the startup is building organoids — mini versions of organs — for cancer drug testing. Another project involves bioprinted stents, which are showing promise in early animal trials. But all these efforts serve a bigger mission.

“Our final target is to move to organ printing for transplants,” says Šakalys.

Bioprinting organs

A computer engineer by training, Šakalys has worked with photonic innovations for over 10 years. 

At his previous startup, Femtika, he harnessed lasers to produce tiny components for microelectronics, medical devices, and aerospace engineering. He realised they could also enable precise bioprinting. 

In 2021, he co-founded Vital3D to advance the concept. The company’s printing system directs light towards a photosensitive bio-ink. The material is hardened and formed into a structure, with living cells and biomaterials moulded into intricate 3D patterns.

The shape of the laser beam can be adjusted to replicate complex biological forms — potentially even entire organs.

But there are still major scientific hurdles to overcome. One is vascularisation, the formation of blood vessels in intricate networks. Another is the diverse variety of cell types in many organs. Replicating these sophisticated natural structures will be challenging.

“First of all, we want to solve the vasculature. Then we will go into the differentiation of cells,” Šakalys says.

“Our target is to see if we can print from fewer cells, but try to differentiate them while printing into different types of cells.” 

If successful, Vital3D could help ease the global shortage of transplantable organs. Fewer than 10% of patients who need a transplant receive one each year, according to the World Health Organisation. In the US alone, around 90,000 people are waiting for a kidney — a shortfall that’s fuelling a thriving black market.

Šakalys believes that could be just the start. He envisions bioprinting not just creating organs, but also advancing a new era of personalised medicine.

“It can bring a lot of benefits to society,” he says. “Not just bioprinting for transplants, but also tissue engineering as well.”

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