3D Printed Corneas are Now a Thing
Does anyone else feel like they are living in the future? I do! Especially after hearing about what scientists have now learned how to 3D print corneas.
According to the good news network, scientists from Newcastle University in the UK have found a way to make "bio ink" from combing stem cells from a healthy donor with alginate and collagen. The research that discovered this was published in the Experimental Eye Research.
Once they perfect the process of making these 3D printed corneas then they could help so many people all over the world. According to the good news network, "10 million people worldwide requiring surgery to prevent corneal blindness as a result of diseases such as trachoma, an infectious eye disorder."
The Gaurdian says "Around 900,000 deaths a year, or around one-third of all deaths in the US, could be prevented or delayed by organ or engineered tissue transplants." Imagine a world where the organ donor list doesn't exist, but instead hospitals could print organs right then and there when needed.