Abstract
Purpose of reviewBiological three-dimensional printing has received a lot of media attention over recent years with advances made in printing cellular structures, including skin and heart tissue for transplantation. Although limitations exist in creating functioning organs with this method, the hope has been raised that creating a functional retina to cure blindness is within reach. The present review provides an update on the advances made toward this goal.Recent findingsIt has recently been shown that two types of retinal cells, retinal ganglion cells and glial cells, can be successfully printed using a piezoelectric inkjet printer. Importantly, the cells remained viable and did not change certain phenotypic features as a result of the printing process. In addition, recent advances in the creation of complex and viable three-dimensional cellular structures have been made.SummarySome first promising steps toward the creation of a functional retina have been taken. It now needs to be investigated whether recent findings can be extended to other cells of the retina, including those derived from human tissue, and if a complex and viable retinal structure can be created through three-dimensional printing.
Highlights
Interest in three-dimensional printing has been phenomenal over the past few years
We provide a review of recent progress toward constructing complex structures of the central nervous system like the retina
We suggest steps that will be required if creation of functional retinal tissue to cure blindness is to be achieved
Summary
Interest in three-dimensional printing has been phenomenal over the past few years. This technology, originally developed to produce engineering prototypes in plastics and metals, has been adapted to create biological structures. Typical home and office desktop inkjet printers are based on the thermal inkjet principle in which the impulse to eject a liquid drop is provided by the expansion and collapse of a thermally-generated vapour bubble behind a nozzle Such printers have been successfully modified to print cells, including muscle and stem cells, as well as embryonic neuronal cell types, including motor, hippocampal, and cortical neurons [1,2,4]. ACentre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, bParacelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria, cResearch Center Pharmaceutical Engineering GmbH, Graz, Austria, dCambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, eEye Department, Addenbrooke’s Hospital and fWellcome Trust – Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, UK
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
