Using 3D-printed Corneas to Cure Corneal Blindness

Dr. Ulises A. Aregueta Robles and his team, as well as many others, see some key drawbacks with the use of animal models: intra-animal differences, long study periods, and a difficulty with extrapolating the results to human tissue responses. To overcome these issues within testing neuromodulation devices, and provide an alternative to animal testing, the team has set out to develop in vitro human tissue models. Here, they have created a model of human scala tympani, which can be used for testing cochlear implants.

“What if our existing tests and methodologies for studying bacteria are fundamentally flawed?” Inspired by this question, the team from Karolinska Institutet set out to develop an AST that focuses specifically on biofilms and is widely applicable regardless of the bacteria type. To accomplish this, they had to first gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate process of biofilm formation.

Dr. Kaushik Chatterjee is a Professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, specializing in Materials and Biomedical Engineering. With a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the Pennsylvania State University, his research focuses on biomaterials, tissue engineering, 3D printing. Recognized with awards like the Young Scientist Award and the Ramanjuan Fellowship, Dr. Chatterjee’s work aims to revolutionize regenerative medicine.

Dr. Anna Herland at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Dr. Daniel Aili from Linköping University recognized the need to enable researchers to develop more biomemitic models of sophisticated brain-like structures such as the brain-blood-barrier (BBB) and the central nervous system. They also recognized the importance of mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) environment to develop accurate 3D models of the BBB. To achieve this, culturing astrocytes in 3D was a critical step.