Monday, 30 December 2013

Eye Cells Inkjet-Printed for First Time


Eye Cells Inkjet-Printed for First Time
Scientists have printed adult eye cells for the first time using an inkjet printer. The technique was carried out using animals cells but paves the way for therapies that could treat blindness in humans. Scientists have previously printed embryonic stem cells and other immature cells but thought adult cells would be too fragile - however, the printed retina cells not only survived, but were able to grow and develop.

Source and further reading:
http://www.livescience.com/42032-inkjet-printed-eye-cells-blindness.html
Image via reddit
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6 comments:

  1. Sean Walker30 December 2013 at 05:08

    This is amazing. Although it does appear to be a step towards tissue regeneration, the hurdles in the future seem daunting. For example,  I think they would need to develop miniaturized laparoscopic inkjet devices in order to access the body areas they would be regenerating. In addition the tool would have to be able to be very finally positioned through scan like movements in 3 space to paint the new cells on. Externally building the tissues is a appears to be a potential solution but would seem to introduce different challenges, like building from ground zero.

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  2. Corina Marinescu30 December 2013 at 05:34

    The nouveau part for me is how the printed  optic nerve cells and the glial cells appeared to survive as well as nonprinted cells. So, voila the optic nerve cells retained the ability to sprout neurites. That's just mind stopping.
    But this is just a work in progress...so I'll keep my blue eye on this.

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  3. Sean Walker30 December 2013 at 06:10

    Yeah, normal longevity and function after being instantaneously boiled to accelerate down the tubes is surprising.
    A new thought occurs to me after your blue eyes reference. This technology could have cosmetic surgery applications, augmentations being the most obvious, such as muscle enhancements etc. Or perhaps a decadent future society doing weird things like surgically adding angel wings for a costume party. =D

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  4. Corina Marinescu30 December 2013 at 06:14

    Ha! what did you do? did you take that nano humor pill again? Sean Walker

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  5. Sean Walker30 December 2013 at 06:53

    lol Nano? Ouch - you certainly kick where it hurts.  Perhaps I'd make a good candidate for neural augmentation of my diminutive humour faculties... ;)

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  6. Corina Marinescu30 December 2013 at 06:54

    Nah! just stay the way you are ;)

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