Professor Cho Dong-woo (ME) and professor Jang Jin-ah(CiTE) succeeded in producing 3D printed artificial retina with bioinks of decellularized retina tissue and stem cells. The artificial retina is biocompatible and transparent. This research was published in recent Biofabrication.
Retina protects pupil from external environment. It should be transparent because it is the first one to accept the light. Retina should be elastic due to light refraction at the same time. However, artificial retina was hard to make transparent and biocompatible for its complicated fabricating process. In studies of last year, there was a serious limit that it was not transparent as alginate and collagen mixture turned out to be cloudy.
Retina has dense grid made of collagen fiber, which is directly related to the transparency. The research team utilized the shear stress of nozzle in making the grid pattern, while ensuring biocompatibility by the extracelluar matrix (ECM) and stem cell.
In animal testing, the team verified the similar grid pattern with human retina and transparency after four weeks of transplantation to the rabbit. Prof. Jang said, “By utilizing the natural shear stress in the process of 3D printing, this research secured in vivo stability and transparency. It will be a big hope to the people who are waiting for the retina transplantation once it is commercialized.”