Research

South Korean researchers 3D bioprint transparent artificial cornea

Researchers from thePohang University of Science and Technology(Postech),以及Kyungpook国立大学医学院,韩国有3D生物刻有人造角膜。

According to the research published on生物制造,截至2018年,大约有2,000名患者在韩国等待了六年的角膜捐赠。为了找到更快的治疗,科学家整合了角膜组织衍生的墨水(Stroma),以模仿人角膜的透明度,以便可能植入。

Postech Creative IT Convergence Engineering教授Jinah Jang教授说:“建议的策略可以达到工程角膜基质的透明和安全性的标准。我们认为,这将给许多患有角膜相关疾病的患者带来希望。”

人角膜的特写。通过Istock的照片。
人角膜的特写。通过Istock的照片。

Replicating the human eye

The cornea is the thin outermost layer that covers the pupil which protects the human eye from the external environment. This layer is the first that admits light, thus it needs to be transparent and flexible. As stated by the study, because of its various functions, it is difficult to develop an artificial cornea using biocompatible materials such as synthetic polymers as it lacks transparency.

根据研究人员的说法,“人角膜是按胶原纤维的晶格模式组织的。角膜中的晶格图案与角膜的透明度直接相关。”为了概括这种结构,生成了使用剪切应力的3D生物打印方法。

This meant that the diameter of the printing nozzles was adjusted on the scientist’s custom 3D bioprinter to obtain a flow that would best produce the desired lattice structure.

体内(A-C)和体外(D-F)评估结果的3D细胞打印和未印刷的角膜植入物。来自缝隙灯检查的光学图像,2D横截面OCT图像(A,D)和非特异性胶原蛋白(B,E)的SHG图像,以及胶原纤维原纤维方向的分布分析(C,F)。在3D细胞打印的组中,表现出较高的透明度。图片通过Postech。

3D生物打印的角膜

3D生物打印中的剪切应力考虑到生物学的粘度,流速和喷嘴的内径。在该实验中使用的生物墨水,角膜脱细胞化的细胞外基质生物考虑具有剪切的特性。

By regulating the shear stress to control the pattern of collagen fibrils, the researchers were successful in creating a3D bioprinted cornea。研究得出的结论是:“由于在挤出过程中沿剪切力方向沿剪切力方向进行对准,因此可以使用剪切相关的3D打印参数来空间控制构造中胶原蛋白原纤维的方向。”

“有趣的是,沿印刷路径重塑的胶原蛋白原纤维形成了一个晶格模式,类似于体内4周后本地人类角膜的结构。”

“Taken together, the capability of controlling collagen orientation opens a new avenue of engineered tissue design and optimization, in which composition and biomimicry within a 3D object can be integrated with component design to achieve a highly
optimized structure.”

Combatting blindness with 3D printing

Tackling blindness through 3D bioprinting-based corneal treatment has been a common interest from scientists worldwide. Since 2017, researchers from the悉尼大学保存视线学院University of Wollongonghave been developing theifix笔,一种手持同轴3D打印机,将生物互联直接挤压到眼睛上,以帮助角膜溃疡上的细胞再生。

在2018年,一个团队Newcastle University(NCL) saw a breakthrough for eye treatments by successfully3D打印人角膜。然后,另一支NCL团队提出了下一阶段3D生物打印角膜的基础,潜力自我曲子,“ 4D”角膜

Elsewhere, Dr. Song Hongxin, an ophthalmologist and researcher at theBeijing Tongren Hospital, 中国,3D打印眼镜to help patients with deformed corneas. Most recently,Pandorum Technologies Pvt。,一家位于班加罗尔的生物技术公司,3D生物打印的角膜组织促进眼睛伤口的无疤痕。

3D生物打印的角膜基质透镜。通过Pandorum Technologies Pvt的照片。
3D生物打印的角膜基质透镜。通过Pandorum Technologies Pvt的照片。

使用3D细胞打印剪切诱导的胶原原纤维对齐,用于角膜基质组织工程”合着Hyeonji Kim,,,,Jinah Jang,,,,朱辛公园,,,,Kyoung-Pil Lee,,,,Seunghun Lee,,,,李·梅克(Dong-Mok Lee),,,,Ki Hean Kim,,,,香港金金,,,,东沃cho。

It’s your last chance to tell us who you think are the leaders of additive manufacturing. Vote in the2019 3D印刷行业奖

Also for latest additive manufacturing news, subscribe to our3D打印行业通讯并跟随我们Facebook推特

访问我们的3D打印作业board to find out more about opportunities in additive manufacturing.

特色图像显示了人角膜的特写。通过Istock的照片。