As innovations follow one another in the medical additive manufacturing sector, projects aimed at 3D printing corneas are emerging. Already in 2019, scientists from Florida A&M University were making headlines by unveiling their research on this subject. This time it is in India that progress is taking place. A team of doctors and scientists, from various research and health institutes, succeeded in 3D printing an artificial cornea and transplanting it into the eye of a rabbit. A first, which might herald significant progress in the field of ophthalmology.
It is no coincidence that researchers have focused on the cornea. First transparent lens of the eye, it allows to concentrate the light and to obtain a clear vision. An essential part of the eye, its damage is one of the main causes of blindness in the world, with more than 1.5 million new cases reported each year. And thanks to this innovation, scientists hope to be able to fix it. Doctors Sayan Basu and Vivek Singh, members of the team in charge of the project, confide: ” This may be a breakthrough innovation in the treatment of conditions such as corneal scarring (where the cornea becomes cloudy) or keratoconus (where the cornea gradually thins over time). »
A cornea printed in 3D by the Indian company Pandorum Technologies. (Photo credits: Pandorum Technologies.
The development of the 3D printed cornea
In order to engineer the 3D printed cornea, researchers engineered a matrix of decellularized corneal tissue and stem cells derived from the human eye to develop a unique, patent-pending biometric hydrogel. Since the 3D printed cornea is made of materials from human tissue, it is biocompatible and therefore perfectly suited for transplantation into humans. The team behind the project also explains that each donor cornea helps in the preparation of three 3D printed corneas.
Being able to be manufactured in different diameters, from 3 to 13 mm, the cornea might become in the coming years a more than viable alternative for people who have suffered corneal lesions. Obviously, at the moment it is not possible to perform transplants, further tests are needed before the application can be used on patients.
What do you think of this 3D printed cornea? Do not hesitate to share your opinion in the comments of the article. Find all our videos on our channel YouTube or follow us on Facebook or Twitter !
Cover photo credits: Unsplash
