Imaging-guided deep tissue in vivo sound printing

Elham Davoodi¹, Jiahong Li¹, Xiaotian Ma¹, Alireza Hasani Najafabadi², Jounghyun Yoo¹, Gengxi Lu³, Ehsan Shirzaei Sani¹, Sunho Lee¹, Hossein Montazerian^{2

4}, Gwangmook Kim¹, Jason Williams⁵, Jee Won Yang⁶, Yushun Zeng³, Lei S Li^{1

7}, Zhiyang Jin^{1

6}, Behnam Sadri¹, Shervin S Nia^{5

8}, Lihong V Wang¹, Tzung K Hsiai⁴, Paul S Weiss^{4

5

8

9}, Qifa Zhou³, Ali Khademhosseini², Di Wu⁶, Mikhail G Shapiro^{1

6}, Wei Gao¹

Affiliations

¹ Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering, Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
² Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern CA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Department of Bioengineering, University of CA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of CA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁶ Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CA Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
⁷ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Department of Bioengineering Rice University, 6100 Main St. Houston, TX, United States.
⁸ CA Nanosystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁹ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

PMID: 40339009
PMCID: PMC12168142 (available on 2025-11-08)
DOI: 10.1126/science.adt0293

Imaging-guided deep tissue in vivo sound printing

Elham Davoodi et al. Science. 2025.

. 2025 May 8;388(6747):616-623.

doi: 10.1126/science.adt0293. Epub 2025 May 8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering, Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
² Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern CA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Department of Bioengineering, University of CA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of CA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁶ Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CA Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
⁷ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Department of Bioengineering Rice University, 6100 Main St. Houston, TX, United States.
⁸ CA Nanosystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁹ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

PMID: 40339009
PMCID: PMC12168142 (available on 2025-11-08)
DOI: 10.1126/science.adt0293

Abstract

Three-dimensional printing offers promise for patient-specific implants and therapies but is often limited by the need for invasive surgical procedures. To address this, we developed an imaging-guided deep tissue in vivo sound printing (DISP) platform. By incorporating cross-linking agent-loaded low-temperature-sensitive liposomes into bioinks, DISP enables precise, rapid, on-demand cross-linking of diverse functional biomaterials using focused ultrasound. Gas vesicle-based ultrasound imaging provides real-time monitoring and allows for customized pattern creation in live animals. We validated DISP by successfully printing near diseased areas in the mouse bladder and deep within rabbit leg muscles in vivo, demonstrating its potential for localized drug delivery and tissue replacement. DISP's ability to print conductive, drug-loaded, cell-laden, and bioadhesive biomaterials demonstrates its versatility for diverse biomedical applications.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: W.G. is co-founder and advisor at Persperity Health. Lei S. Li has a financial interest in BLOCH Quantum Imaging Solutions, although they did not support this work. W.G. and E.D. are inventors on patent application no. US18/444,514 submitted by the California Institute of Technology.

Comment in

Replicating a tissue with sound waves.
Kuang X. Kuang X. Science. 2025 May 8;388(6747):588-589. doi: 10.1126/science.adx2433. Epub 2025 May 8. Science. 2025. PMID: 40339035

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Imaging-guided deep tissue in vivo sound printing

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Imaging-guided deep tissue in vivo sound printing

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