On the horizon:

Using 3D-printed Corneas to Cure Corneal Blindness

Research done on an older generation of LUMEN X™
Lumen-X+-at-Pandorum
3D printed cornea lenticule using Pandorum Technologies' proprietary photo-crosslinkable cornea-mimetic bioink and CELLINK's high-precision light-based bioprinter LUMEN X.

Artificial, 3D-printed corneas is already showing great promise in helping cure a big issue today: corneal blindness. Corneal blindness is a problem faced by millions of people across the globe, with estimates placing figures around a staggering 28 million individuals diagnosed with corneal blindness. Research teams and innovators, like Pandorum Technologies, are working hard on developing functional corneal tissue, ready to be implanted.

Patients suffering from corneal blindness often experience a failure to produce critical components for their corneas, like collagen, which results in the cornea degrading. This degradation eventually leaves patients incapable of seeing until their cornea is totally replaced, creating an intense demand for corneal transplants. A demand which is far from being met by donor corneas. 3D-printed and artificial corneas show a clear path out of the donor shortage.

Pandorum Technologies' 3D-printed corneas to combat the cornea donor shortage

There is a desperate need for a method to develop functional corneal tissue. Pandorum Technologies, a start-up based out of Bangalore, India (a hub for innovation), is taking this challenge head-on. This group of engineers, biologists and researchers are on a clear path to develop 3D-printed corneas which are functional and ready to implant.

Pandorum Technologies take medical images of corneas, develop 3D models based on these images, and 3D-print the cornea models on their BIO X. These cornea models are printed using a custom bioink developed within the company. Naming their final product the “Corneal Lenticule”, this biofabricated construct mimics the shape and size of cornea and possesses all the physical and biological properties necessary for long-term integration with the body. In turn, the Pandorum team’s work has led to an effective solution to the lack of available donor corneas. This can help many patients suffering from corneal blindness regain their sense of sight. Complimenting the BIO X, the Pandorum team also leverages DLP-based bioprinting with the LUMEN X for prototyping and fine-tuning the geometric shapes of the Corneal Lenticule.

2. Cornea lenticule bioprinted with cells
Corneal stromal stem cells successfully maintained in the bioprinted lenticule. The green colour in the images shows the live cell population homogeneously distributed in the bioprinted corneal lenticule. Confocal images capturing one plane and the lower panels showing cell distribution throughout the matrix via 3D reconstruction of images from multiple planes.

Implanting printed corneas - entering human trials in India and USA

Pandorum Technologies has already demonstrated serious success during in vitro testing and in animal models. It’s now time for their printed corneas to enter the important phase of human trials. It’s time to collect the essential proof needed to bring this treatment to live patients and to begin restoring the sight of humans across the world. These clinical trials will take place across multiple hospitals spanning both India and the United States.

Pandorum Technologies

Learn more about Pandorum Technologies and what they are doing by visiting https://pandorum.com/

Imagine. Bioprint

What do you imagine is the future of health? Push the limits of your work and accelerate discoveries by harnessing the power of bioprinting and 3D cell culture.

More Customer Spotlights

Innovative Silk Bioink for 3D Bioprinted Bone Marrow Tissue Models

There is a rising need of platelet units, which is primarily sourced from healthy donors. However, the natural production of platelets coupled with the brief shelf life does not meet the demand by the healthcare industry. Prof. Alessandra Balduini and her team at the University of Pavia are taking this challenge head-on by initiating the EIC Transition SILKink project, which aims to produce a groundbreaking platform that combines the use of natural silk and 3D bioprinting to recreate the environment of the human bone marrow where platelets are produced.

Bioprinting pediatric heart valves that stand the test of time

Heart valve disease is a significant global health issue, affecting millions of people and contributing to a substantial number of cardiovascular-related deaths. Traditional mechanical replacements, while life-saving, present several challenges, especially over time. Most mechanical valves do not grow or adapt with the patient’s body, leading to the need for multiple invasive surgeries. This not only poses inherent risks but also significantly impacts the patient’s quality of life. Issues such as blood clots, calcification, and severe inflammation further complicate the situation. These challenges become even more critical in pediatric cases, where conventional solutions, while still life-saving, may reduce life expectancy by up to 50%. Professor Savoji, Arman Jafari, a PhD student in his lab, and a dedicated team at the University of Montreal have employed bioprinting and their BIO X6 to address these challenges and develop a method to bioprint heart valve replacements.

Empowering Highly Motivated Researchers

We have interviewed Takaaki Arahira, the Associate Professor of the Department of Information Networks, Faculty of Management and Information Sciences at Kyushu Institute of Information Sciences.

Smart Biomaterials: Revolutionizing Drug Delivery

With so many disadvantages having the potential to severely undermine the successful outcome of the therapy, there is an immense requirement, driven by a fusion of both need and convenience, for biomaterials that operate autonomously and intelligently, effectively eliminating the need for human micromanagement. Professor Jeff Bates and his team at the University of Utah are taking this challenge head on. We spoke to Ashwin Velraj, PhD student in Professor Bates’ lab.