Regenerative medicine company 3DBio Therapeutics claims it has successfully implanted an ear using 3D cell printing. The trial took place in March in the United States and was announced by the company this Thursday (2).
According to the company, the organ was made using cells from the patient herself, a 20yearold woman identified only as Alexa for privacy reasons.
She was born with a congenital malformation in her right ear called microtia. Patients with this condition have missing or underdeveloped outer ears.
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According to the company, the printed ear will regenerate the patient’s cartilage and give the new organ a natural look. The scientists used the patient’s left ear for the modelling.
2 of 3 Ear created with the 3DBio cell printing technique — Photo: Disclosure
Ear created with the 3DBio cell printing technique — Photo: Disclosure
The technology is still under development
Other companies have already applied 3D printing to prostheses made from various types of plastic and metal. The implantation of an ear made of human cells is an innovative achievement, explains the CEO of 3DBio Therapeutics, Daniel Cohen.
“We are beginning to demonstrate the application of tissue engineering technology,” Cohen said in a statement released by the company.
3 of 3 3D printed ear made from patient cells could be a breakthrough in regenerative medicine — Photo: Handout
3D printed ear made from patient cells could be a breakthrough for regenerative medicine.
3DBio Therapeutics has not yet explained the technology used in the ongoing study.
However, the company says the procedures have been approved by the FDA, the US health agency, and that it intends to publish more information in a scientific publication once the study is complete.
The procedure could open up new possibilities, explains Cohen: “We believe that the microtia clinical study can not only provide us with evidence of the value of this product, but also demonstrate the potential of the technology to provide live tissue implants in other therapies in the future. “
The executive cites potential uses of the technology for orthopedic surgeries and says that in the future it’s possible to expand the technique to create organs.