‘Printed’ eye cells could herald new treatments
pharmafile | December 24, 2013 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | biofabrication, blind, blindness, eye printing
Researchers from Cambridge University have printed new eye cells using a standard printer that could herald new treatments to stop sight loss.
The proof-of-principle work was published in the journal Biofabrication and carried out using animal cells.
The researchers believe it could be the beginning of ‘grow-your-own’ therapies for people with damage to the retina, although they warn that more tests will be needed before human trials can begin.
The preliminary results published in December show that an inkjet printer can be used to print two types of cells from the retina of adult rats – ganglion cells and glial cells.
These are the cells that transmit information from the eye to certain parts of the brain, and provide support and protection for neurons.
The printed cells remained healthy and retained their ability to survive and grow in culture.
Co-authors of the study Prof Keith Martin and Dr Barbara Lorber, from the John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair at the University of Cambridge, said: “The loss of nerve cells in the retina is a feature of many blinding eye diseases. The retina is an exquisitely organised structure where the precise arrangement of cells in relation to one another is critical for effective visual function.
“Our study has shown, for the first time, that cells derived from the mature central nervous system, the eye, can be printed using a piezoelectric inkjet printer. Although our results are preliminary and much more work is still required, the aim is to develop this technology for use in retinal repair in the future.”
They now plan to attempt to print other types of retinal cells, including the light-sensitive photoreceptors – rods and cones.
Clara Eaglen of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, said: “Clearly it’s still at a very early-stage and further research is needed to develop this technology for use in repairing the retina in humans.
“The key to this research, once the technology has moved on, will be how much useful vision is restored.
“Even a small bit of sight can make a real difference, for some people it could be the difference between leaving the house on their own or not. It could help boost people’s confidence and in turn their independence.”
Prof Jim Bainbridge of London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital added: “The finding that eye cells can survive the printing process suggests the exciting possibility that this technique could be used in the future to create organised tissues for regeneration of the eye and restoration of sight.
“Blindness is commonly caused by degeneration of nerve cells in the eye. In recent years there has been substantial progress towards the development of new treatments involving cell transplantation.”
Ben Adams
