3-D printer used with eye cells
Print Edition
Neuroscientists on Tuesday said they had used an inkjet printer to print cells from the eye, marking a practical step in the quest to grow replenishment tissue for damaged or diseased organs.
Researchers at England’s University of Cambridge extracted two types of cells from rat retinas and sent them through a printer nozzle to see if they survived. The cells remained healthy after being “printed,” retaining their ability to survive and grow in culture, they reported in the British journal Biofabrication.
Three-dimensional printing is one of the new frontiers in engineering. Liquid or powdered polymers are substituted for ink. Sprayed in layers, the plastic forms a 3-D shape. Biotechnologists are also interested in printing, given the potential it offers for building artificial tissue in layers.
This is the first time that the technology has been used to successfully print mature cells from the central nervous system, the scientists said. They cautioned, however, that much work lay ahead.
The hope is one day to build retinal tissue for people suffering from degenerative diseases of the eye.
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