A woman born with a rare deformity received a 3D-printed ear made of her own cells, according to a press release from 3DBio Therapeutics. This transplant was part of a clinical trial and marks a major step forward for tissue engineering.
“If everything goes as planned, this will revolutionize the way this is done,” Arturo Bonilla, the ear reconstruction surgeon who led the team performing the procedure, told The New York Times.
About 1,500 babies born in the United States suffer from microtia, a condition where one or both ears are underdeveloped or missing entirely. This new technology can help these patients live their lives to the fullest. 3DBio Therapeutics has an ongoing clinical trial with 11 participants testing its AuriNovo ear, a personalized tissue implant to replace the missing ear.
These patients usually have ears constructed from rib grafts or synthetic materials. This new procedure involves taking a biopsy from the patient’s existing ear and pulling out cartilage cells. The cells are then grown and 3D-printed into the shape of the patient’s ear. The ear keeps regenerating cartilage over the patient’s lifetime and because it’s made of their own cells, it’s less likely to be rejected.
3DBio Therapeutics hopes to 3D print other body parts like noses and rotator cuffs and eventually organs such as livers and kidneys.
