Release date: 2018-06-12 The cornea is the first 1/6 of the outermost layer of the eye wall. It is shaped like a concave lens and has a light refraction effect. It is an important component of the refractive interstitial and plays an important role in visual imaging. According to statistics from the World Health Organization in 2001, 10 million people worldwide need corneal surgery to prevent blindness caused by trachoma, and nearly 5 million people are completely blind due to corneal scars. Despite the large number of corneal donors, corneal donors are still in a state of severe supply shortages relative to the large population. The development of an artificial cornea to compensate for the lack of donors has always been the goal pursued by scientists. Recently, British scientists have successfully developed the world's first 3D printed artificial cornea using the hot 3D printing technology in recent years, bringing twilight to corneal patients. Artificial corneas are mainly divided into medical polymer materials and bioengineering. The former is relatively low-end, and is generally used for a few diseases in which conventional corneal transplantation is prone to failure. There are many relatively mature products in foreign countries; the latter is relatively high-end and is also the protagonist of this paper. This is a simulated human body produced by bioengineering technology. The material of the corneal tissue is used for corneal transplantation to solve the current plight of corneal transplant donors. The development of such artificial corneas has been in existence for decades. At present, most scientists only develop a scaffold structure of the corneal stroma, lacking active epithelial cells and endothelial cells, and need to transplant their own corneal epithelium after transplantation. Professor Che Connon, a tissue engineer at Newcastle University in the UK, mixed corneal stem cells with alginate and collagen to create a perfect “bio-ink†that allows both stem cells to survive and is a A hard and soft material that is rigid enough to retain shape and soft enough to be squeezed out of the nozzle of a 3D printer. Professor Che Connon said that in order to find such a perfect "bio-ink", they have done a lot of testing experiments. Previously, similar hydrogels have been used to allow cells to survive at room temperature for several weeks. Now use bio-ink containing corneal stem cells. After that, the user can be allowed to print the cells directly without worrying about the individual growth of the cells, and the entire printing process takes less than ten minutes. In addition, they can obtain data by scanning the patient's eye and quickly print out the cornea of ​​the right size and shape to meet the patient's unique requirements. The researchers named the 3D printed artificial cornea "Cornea." The following is the printing step Support structure generation process: A study the size and natural curvature of the human cornea; B to produce the original corneal model by FEM algorithm; C convert the corneal model into a solid, generate a support structure, and then seal with a flat circle; D wireframe view; E removal Hollow rear view; F final 3D printed support structure. Use a good support structure for further 3D printing: A ready to print the program and preview the concentric directionality of the print; B support structure surface coated with FRESH to promote 3D printing; C 3D printing is in progress, with trypan blue Stain 3% alginate bio-ink to increase visibility; D print the artificial cornea before incubation; E incubated for 8 minutes, aspirate the surface of FRESH, and carefully withdraw the corneal structure from the stent. At present, the 3D printed artificial cornea still needs to use the cornea (corneal stem cells) provided by the organ donor as a material, but it is gratifying that it can make a healthy cornea into 50 artificial corneas, which makes the organ waiting time greatly. Accelerate 50 times. Newcastle University said in an official press release that this means that this new technology will ensure an unlimited supply of cornea in the future. Despite the shock and excitement, Professor Che Connon said that the artificial cornea is not directly used for transplantation, and they need more tests to determine their safety and clinical adaptability. There is a distance to go. References: Abigail Isaacson, Stephen Swioklo, Che J. Connon. 3D bioprinting of a corneal stroma equivalent. [J]Experimental Eye Research 173 (2018) 188–193 Source: International Ophthalmology News Automated Pathology Slide Prep and Staining System DIAN Biotech provides Automated Pathology Slide Prep and Staining System, available for LBC slide prep and staining, IHC, HE, and quick freezing. The system include automated instrument, staining reagent and consumables. LBC slide staining, HE, IHC Hangzhou DIAN Biotechnology Co., Ltd. , https://www.dianbiotech.com
How did the first 3D printed artificial cornea that shocked the world come about?