First time in India, researchers have successfully 3D printed an artificial cornea and transplant it into a rabbit’s eye.
Led by researchers from L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, the teams collaborate to develop a 3D printed cornea from the human donor corneal tissue.
Completely indigenously develop, the product is natural and contains no synthetic components, is also free of animal residues and safe for use in humans, say researchers.
How did Researchers 3D Print the Cornea?
Researchers made use of decellularise corneal tissue matrix and stem cells extract from the human eye to develop a unique biometric hydrogel that was use as the background material for 3D printing the cornea.
According to Dr Sayan Basu and Dr Vivken Singh, lead researchers at LVPEI, this innovation can be extremely useful for treating diseases such as corneal scarring or keratoconus.
As per Doctors :
“It is a made-in-India product by an Indian clinician-scientist team and the first 3D print human cornea that is optically and physically suitable for transplantation. The bio-ink use to make this 3D printed cornea can be sight-saving for army personnel at the site of injury to seal corneal perforation and prevent infection during war-relate injuries or in a remote area with no tertiary eye care facility.”
Dr Falguni Pati, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering at IIT-Hyderabad, Said :
“we use a biomimicking approach to provide an optimised micro-environment for stromal regeneration while maintaining the curvature and thickness of the bio-printed cornea to facilitate surgical implantation. We are hopeful about the positive outcome of India’s first 3D bioprinted corneal graft.”
