Swedish researchers have developed a 3D-printed eye implant, which they hope will present new opportunities for cell-based treatment of diabetes and other diseases.
The research from a team at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Karolinska Institutet was published in Advanced Materials. 1
Author Dr Anna Herland said the eye was ideal for the technology, as it does not have immune cells that react unfavourably to the first stage of implantation.
The transparency of the eye also allows for study of what happens to the implant over time.
The device, which is 240 micrometres long, is designed to be fixed between the iris and the cornea in the anterior chamber of the eye. In experiments in mice, the implant maintained its position for several months.
Dr Herland said the research opens the potential for more advanced device functions, such as integrated electronics or drug release.
Reference
- Kavand, H., Herland, A., et al., 3D-printed biohybrid microstructures enable transplantation and vascularization of microtissues in the anterior chamber of the eye, Advanced Materials, DOI: doi.org/10.1002/adma.202306686.