14 DAY TRIAL // A group of investigators based at the University of Cambridge announces the development of a new method for printing eye cells, which could soon enable doctors to treat a series of degenerative retinal conditions, such as macular degeneration.
Diseases such as this rob thousands of their eyesight every year, and can appear as a consequence of other disorders, such as diabetes. Soon, scientists may be able to fight off these unwanted effects by printing and implanting new retinal cells via advanced devices.
One of the most interesting aspects of this study is that the team behind it did not use 3D printers, which are all the rage in the scientific community today. Instead, the Cambridge specialists used a standard ink-jet printer to deposit twin layers of retina cells on a special surface.
The cells were harvested from the retinas of rats, the group explains. Following the printing of the tissues, it was determined that the health and survivability of the used cells was not affected. Once placed in a culture, the cells kept on living, boosting hopes that they could soon be used in therapies.
Now that the basics of building retinas have been demonstrated, the research group plans to continue their investigation by printing photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelial cells alongside the two types of cells already experimented upon. All four cell types are essential for the normal functioning of retinas. This layer of the human eye contains around 10 different layers of cells.
University of Cambridge professor of ophthalmology Keith Martin, the leader of the investigation, say that doctors may one day be able to insert printed cells in the retinas of patients suffering from various diseases, during eye surgery, Technology Review reports.
Martin explains that printing was used in this study because it enabled the research group to place each cell in a very precise and special arrangement. Scientists can also grow single layers of cells in cultures, but this technique does not allow them to easily manipulate the end product.
The team was very surprised to see that both types of retinal cells used in this experiment were able to withstand the printing process without suffering any type of damage. Usually, they explain, neuronal cells such as the ones in the retina are extremely fragile and sensitive.
The experiments were centered on printing retinal ganglion cells and non-neuronal cells called glia. Both proved equally successful in enduring the rigors of printing. Despite these successes, it is still too early to determine whether or not such cells would be capable of connecting to the optic nerves if implanted in the human retinas.