Washington. An American medical team reported yesterday that it has implanted for the first time a human ear created from the patient’s cells thanks to a 3D printer, a procedure that should help people who suffer from a rare malformation at birth.
This operation was carried out within the framework of a clinical trial aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of such an implant for people affected by microtia, whose external ear has not developed correctly.
AuriNovo, the name of the implant, was developed by the company 3DBio Therapeutics, and the operation was carried out by Arturo Bonilla, founder of an institute specializing in the treatment of this malformation, in San Antonio, Texas.
“As a doctor who has treated thousands of children affected by microtia throughout the country and the world; I am excited about this technology and what it could mean for patients and their families,” said the surgeon, quoted in a company statement.
cartilage tissue
The procedure is performed with cartilage cells from the patient’s ear, which are then cultured to obtain a sufficient amount, and mixed with a collagen hydrogel. This mixture is used to print the implant, surrounded by a printed, biodegradable shell, which is absorbed by the patient’s body over time.
The transplanted ear should develop the look and feel of a natural one, including its elasticity.
The clinical trial comprises a total of 11 patients, in California and Texas.
Bonilla expressed his confidence that this implant could one day replace existing treatments, which involve creating a prosthesis from the extraction of cartilage from a rib, or a substance called porous polyethylene.
The first solution is a cumbersome procedure, and the implant using the porous polyethylene is less flexible than the one tested, he explained.
About 1,500 babies suffer from microtia each year in the United States, according to the company.
If they do not have health problems, these children can live normally. However, some do not bear the look of others on this malformation.
Among the factors that can increase the risk of microtia are diabetes in the mother and a maternal diet that is poor in carbohydrates and folic acid.
3D-printed implants could also be used for other cartilage-related conditions, such as nose defects or injuries, breast reconstructions, or damaged menisci in the knee.
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