2023-10-05 16:00:28
The world of 3D printing continues to surprise the scientific world with its advances. This time, it is in the field of neuroscience that this technology has taken a giant step forward. Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne have developed a 3D printing technique to create three-dimensional nerve networks using “bio-inks” with living nerve cells, specifically rat brain cells. These three-dimensional structures exceptionally mimic the complex connections found in the human brain.
This advancement provides opportunities to explore neurological disorders, evaluate the effectiveness of medications, and deepen our understanding of how our nervous system works. By opting for a tissue engineering methodology associated with bioprinting, scientists have succeeded in reproducing the configuration of gray matter and white matter that we observe in the brain. This approach involved the use of two distinct types of bioinks, one containing living cells and the other composed of non-cellular materials. The printer begins its work by overlaying layers containing cells with layers without cells. This process mimics the way the brain alternates between its white matter and its gray matter. Special electrodes are also inserted at regular intervals to stimulate the growth of the neural network and record its activity.
This breakthrough might eventually put an end to animal testing.
According to Professor John Forsythe, who led the study in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2D nerve cell cultures have already been used to explore the formation of nerve networks and the mechanisms pathological. However, these relatively flat structures fail to reproduce the three-dimensional complexity that truly characterizes nervous tissue.
Professor Forsythe explains: “The 3D printed cell networks developed during this study precisely reproduce the 3D nature of the circuits present in a living brain, where nerve cells emit extensions called neurites in order to establish connections between the different layers of the cortex. We noticed that the projections of the neurons in the layer we printed to represent “gray matter” grew seamlessly through the layer we represented as “white matter,” acting as a sort of communication network. fast with other neurons in different parts. In short, we succeeded in reproducing an organization fundamentally similar to that observed in brain areas. Furthermore, we noted that the behavior and function of the neurons were surprisingly concordant.”
The study, entitled « 3D Functional Neuronal Networks in Free-Standing Bioprinted Hydrogel Constructs » shows that 3D printed networks of living nerve cells will likely provide a promising platform for studying how nerves and nerve networks form and develop. Additionally, this provides a research opportunity in the study of the impacts of certain diseases on neurotransmission, as well as the evaluation of drugs on nerve cells and the nervous system.
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*Photo credits: Freepik
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