Project Search

Axolotl Biosciences, a Canadian start-up with revenue-generating products, has identified a new commercial opportunity through a comprehensive market assessment. Building on its existing capabilities and protected intellectual property, the company is developing HeartPrint—a precision-engineered bioink for in vitro modeling of human heart tissue. HeartPrint addresses a growing need in the $100 billion cardiac research market, driven by the increasing adoption of 3D bioprinting in both basic and applied research. Heart disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in aging populations, underscoring the demand for more accurate and scalable disease models. 

To develop HeartPrint, Axolotl has partnered with Dr. Zachary Laksman of the University of British Columbia, a pioneer in “disease-in-a-dish” cardiac models. His lab brings deep expertise in bioengineering, genomics and cardiac electrophysiology. Together, they aim to validate HeartPrint using genomic and functional assays to ensure the printed tissues reach or exceed the maturity of current manually engineered heart tissues. A genomics-informed version of HeartPrint will be developed by identifying and incorporating key molecular factors that drive tissue maturation. The product will enable researchers to generate adult-like cardiomyocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs) using a simplified protocol. Additionally, sex-specific formulations will be offered to model known electrophysiological differences between male and female heart tissues. 

HeartPrint is designed to enhance the accuracy of preclinical drug safety testing—a major bottleneck in drug development—and to support a wide range of therapeutic screens. While not intended for in vivo use initially, its xeno-free (made without animal materials), well-characterized formulation positions it for potential future applications in 3D-printed transplantable organs. By accelerating cardiac research and improving drug testing reliability, HeartPrint has the potential to bring life-saving therapies to patients faster and more safely.