Mixed donor eye corneal stem cells, alginate, collagen made
Breakthrough bio-ink containing stem cells
We all know that if the cornea is damaged, if it cannot be repaired by treatment and you want to see the world again, you will only get a new cornea, and this process can only rely on "etc." With the help of 3D bioprinting, people with hardships have new hopes and the chance of changing the cornea will increase. Researchers at the Institute of Genetic Medicine at the University of Newcastle, UK, said they successfully replicated the human cornea with a 3D bioprinter and "bio-ink." This technology means that if it can be used in the future, it may enable the cornea to achieve unlimited supply.
This bio-ink is made from a mixture of donor cornea stem cells (human corneal stromal cells), alginate and collagen. The researchers used a 3D bioprinter to squeeze the bio-ink in a concentric "path" to form the shape of the human cornea. It is reported that waiting for artificial cornea "freshly baked" only less than 10 minutes.
"Our unique gel combines alginic acid and collagen to keep stem cells active. At the same time, the 'material' is hard enough to retain its shape but soft enough to be squeezed smoothly from the nozzle of the 3D printer. “Out.†Chee Connor, a professor of tissue engineering at Newcastle University, said that many teams in the world are always looking for the ideal bio-ink, in order to make this process feasible.
Connor said that this success was based on previous attempts. They had allowed cells to stay in a similar Hydrogel and allowed it to survive at room temperature for several weeks. The newly developed bio-ink containing stem cells, while capable of printing tissue, eliminates the need to separately cultivate cells. Moreover, studies have shown that stem cells can continue to develop.
Researchers say they can "order" the cornea to meet the special needs of the patient's eyes. The size of the printed tissue is obtained from the actual cornea. By scanning the patient's eyes, the size and shape of the cornea can be quickly printed based on the data.
The current situation is a serious shortage of global corneal donations
The cornea is the outer structure of the eye. "Working functions" include focusing the light and protecting the inner eye. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the cornea is composed of cell layers that protect our eyes while providing clear vision. The cornea must remain clear, smooth, and healthy to have good vision. If it is scarred, swollen or damaged, light cannot be properly focused in the eye, causing blurred vision or glare.
When the cornea cannot be cured or repaired, there is only one method of corneal transplantation. Usually, donors donate or donate their corneas to needy people after their death. Fortunately, this transplant does not have the adaptive problems that may be faced by organ transplants. In other words, corneal transplants do not need to wait for "matching." Donors. However, the same dilemma faced by organ donation is that the cornea is also in a state of “supply beyond supplyâ€. There are not many donors for healthy corneas, and demand is indeed high. At present, 15 million people around the world are waiting for surgery. These people suffer from infectious eye diseases such as trachoma that may cause corneal damage and even blindness. Another 5 million people are completely blinded due to corneal scars caused by burns, lacerations, abrasions or other diseases.
A 2016 study mentioned that only 1 out of every 70 corneas in the world can obtain a corneal transplant, which is enough to explain the serious shortage of transplantable corneas worldwide. The technology of 3D printing of the cornea can increase the "supply" and "manufacture" multiple corneas with each donor's stem cells, and if implemented, there is hope to reduce the "delivery deficit" of the cornea. What researchers need to do now is to ensure that the cornea's “quality†of printing—including not causing human rejection—is properly focused on light. Connor said that in order to be more confident, the day of transplant may have to wait a few years, but this study shows everyone the feasibility of printing the cornea, and is a good way to solve the global shortage of the cornea.
Link 3D Printing Body Tissue Organs
In addition to the cornea, 3D printing has found "places" in other parts of the body. The 3D printing technology was originally applied to mold manufacturing, industrial design and other fields, and was gradually used for direct manufacturing of some products. In August 2017, the world’s first 3D human body printer was launched. It simulates body tissues and organs, uses bio-ink, and allows 3D-printed organs to be more integrated with the human body. It can print various types of transplantable organs such as the nose and mouth.
Cartilage is expected to treat arthritis
In April 2017, the research team of the Sarge Institute in Gothenburg, Sweden, succeeded in creating cartilage tissue by printing stem cells using a 3D bioprinter. In addition, the research team can also influence cell replication and differentiation to form cartilage cells for printing structures. The study was published in Nature's journal Scientific Reports.
The study was conducted in collaboration with a group of researchers at the Salz Institute in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Chalmers University of Technology. The team extracted chondrocytes from patients who had undergone knee surgery to rejuvenate these cells in the laboratory. Revert to pluripotent stem cells - there is the potential to develop into many different types of cells. The stem cells are then encapsulated in a nanofibrillated cellulose composite and printed into a structure by a 3D bioprinter. After "printing", the stem cells are correctly differentiated under the guidance of growth factors to form cartilage tissue.
In nature, the differentiation of stem cells into cartilage is a simple process, but it is much more complicated to complete in a test tube. Most of the research team's job is to find out how to survive the process of printing, copying, and differentiating into cartilage. The team leader, cell biology professor Dina Simonson, said that they did this without any animal experiments and was the first to succeed.
3D bioprinted cartilage is very similar to human cartilage. According to an experienced surgeon, this kind of artificial cartilage is no different from real cartilage, and the nature of the material is similar to that of their patients' natural cartilage. Just like ordinary cartilage, the laboratory-cultivated material contains type II collagen. Under the microscope, the cells look perfect and the structure is similar to human cartilage samples.
If in the near future it is possible to produce cartilage by using the patient's own “back-up†stem cells, it will help repair cartilage damage or treat osteoarthritis, bringing happiness to many patients with osteoarthritis.
Kidney test medicinal aid dialysis
In 2016, scientists created a tiny, complex tube using 3D printing technology, which is very similar to the key parts of real kidneys. Although there is still a long way to go before making artificial kidneys to replace organs, this is the first time that researchers have used 3D printing technology to produce kidney tissue that resembles genuine products. This 3D-printed kidney tissue was done at the Jennifer Louis Laboratory at Harvard University. The team developed a new approach to bioprinting that allows researchers to print complex structures of different types of human tissues and the vascular system necessary to maintain the survival of such tissues. This "printing" method uses a variety of gel-like "inks." After printing, the researchers remove one of the inks, leaving a hollow tube, and then adding cells that will develop into tissue.
Experimental tests have shown that this engineered tissue shows true kidney function, and in particular can produce proximal renal tubules, a unit of kidney that is the basic functional unit of the kidney. The kidney is responsible for filtering the blood, keeping useful things in the body and draining waste. If you can create kidney cells, you can theoretically "make" the kidneys, but considering the need to develop interconnected parts, this project will take many years to achieve.
Material scientist Jennifer Louis said that despite this, the printed tissue is still of medical value. First of all, such an organization can be used to test potential drugs; in addition, artificial tissues can also be used in vitro equipment to help kidney dialysis, Of course, it will take several years to develop such equipment.
This edition compiled Chen Xiaodan
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