A 3D printer has printed part of the brain's cortex from cells
Artificial tissue has been printed from human stem cells and tested on mice.Researchers from Oxford University have demonstrated for the first time that nerve cells can be printed on a 3D printer to mimic the architecture of the cerebral cortex. The finished tissue was successfully implanted into the brain of a rat. In the future, the technology will help to treat brain injuries.
The scientists printed the double-layered brain tissue from induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), which can potentially produce different cell types. A key advantage of using hiPSCs for tissue repair is that they can be derived from patients' cells - and therefore avoid rejection after transplantation.
HiPSCs were differentiated into neural progenitor cells from two different layers of the cerebral cortex using specific combinations of growth factors and chemicals. The cells were then dissolved to create two "bicornyls" which were used to produce a bilayer structure. In culture, the printed tissues maintained the multilayered cellular architecture for several weeks.
When the printed tissues were implanted into mouse brain slices, they demonstrated strong integration as evidenced by the projection of neural outgrowths and migration of neurons across the implant-host boundary.
The implanted cells demonstrated signaling activity that correlated with that of the host cells. This indicates that human and mouse cells communicated with each other, demonstrating both functional and structural integration.
Brain disorders, including those caused by trauma, stroke, or tumor removal, typically result in significant cortical damage, difficulty in cognition, movement, and communication. Regenerative tissue therapy may be a promising way to treat such injuries in the future.