Artificial cornea

The cornea of the human eye is printed on a 3D printer for the first time

Anatoly Glossev, Vesti

Scientists have printed a living cornea of the human eye on a 3D printer. It is planned that after testing it can be transplanted to patients. The achievement is described in a scientific article published in the journal Experimental Eye Research by a team led by Che Connon from the University of Newcastle (Isaacson et al., 3D bioprinting of a corneal stroma equivalent).

The cornea of the eye can suffer from infections, burns, mechanical injuries and other causes. Right now, 10 million people need a corneal transplant to avoid blindness, and another five million have already lost their eyesight, but can restore it after such a transplant. Alas, there is always a catastrophic shortage of donor material.

In this regard, many laboratories around the world are developing corneas printed on a 3D printer. A special composition is used as "ink", in which stem cells are "bathed", already ready to become cells of the cornea of the eye.

Very strict requirements are imposed on this composition. It should be plastic enough to be used as "ink" for 3D printing, and at the same time rigid enough so that the finished cornea retains its shape. Finally, it is important that the cells contained in it remain alive. So far, no scientific group has been able to combine all three conditions.

Now this barrier has been taken. The study showed that on the first day after printing, more than 90% of the cells remained viable, and on the seventh day – 83%. At the same time, a relatively inexpensive bioprinter is used for printing, and the process itself takes less than ten minutes.

"This [achievement] is based on our previous work in which we kept cells alive in a similar hydrogel at room temperature for several weeks. Now we have ready–to-use biochernils containing stem cells, allowing users to start printing tissues without worrying about cell reproduction," Connon says in a press release of the study.

The artificial cornea is ready for clinical trials.
Photo: Newcastle University.

Moreover, the authors demonstrated that the shape and size of the cornea can be selected individually for each patient. To do this, his eye is scanned, and the computer converts this information into commands for a 3D printer.

To become a mass practice, the technology must pass the stage of clinical trials. It will most likely take several years. And only after approval from the relevant authorities will it be possible to help the first patients.

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