Researchers at the University of Cambridge have successfully printed adult nerve cells using a 3D printing method, and this new technology could possibly be used to cure blindness in the future.
The team or researchers used an inkjet printer to print living retina cells of adult rats, the cells could be built up and then used to replace defective eye tissue.
“This is the first time that cells from the adult central nervous system have been successfully printed,” professor Keith Martin told Dezeen. “We’ve demonstrated that you can take cells from the retina and you can effectively separate them out. These can be put in an inkjet printer and we can print those cells out in any pattern we like and we’ve shown that those cells can survive and thrive.”
Professor Keith Martin is hoping that these new 3D printed eye cells are a step forwards in treating eye diseases like glaucoma and also macular degeneration which are the largest causes of blindness today.
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