Release date: 2017-03-09 Recently, under the leadership of Ryosuke Ikeguchi, a professor of orthopedics at Kyoto University in Japan, 13 Japanese researchers successfully tested the efficacy of 3D printed catheters in nerve regeneration in mice. At present, the universal treatment of peripheral nerve injury in the medical community is autologous nerve transplantation. The doctor will obtain nerve segments from another part of the patient to repair the lesion gap in the nervous system. This method proved to be effective, but the problem is that the doctor does not always succeed in acquiring nerve fragments from the patient. If the patient cannot find the donor, the disease cannot be treated. A: Pre-designed 3D tubular structure B: 3D printing catheter made according to A According to Tiangong, as an alternative solution, Ikeguchi's research team tested the efficacy of 3D printing catheters. They used normal human skin fibroblasts as the base material to create a stent-free catheter as a nerve tissue using a high-performance 3D bioprinter. During the experiment, the researchers tested the suitability of these 3D printed catheters on twelve adult male mice. To investigate the effects of 3D printed catheters in regenerative nerve tissue and segments, they collected immunodeficient mice that were severed in the middle of the thigh of the right sciatic nerve. In a process similar to autologous nerve grafting, the researchers used a 3D printed catheter to connect the lesions of the mouse. A: Implanted 3D printing catheter B: Implanted silicone catheter In the second phase of the experiment, the researchers collected data from these mice and compared them to a group of mice treated with silicone catheters. In a series of electrophysiological studies, the researchers found that mice using 3D printed catheters were more likely to make advanced compound muscle movements. "We confirmed that in the rat sciatic nerve experiment, a stentless biological 3D catheter consisting entirely of fibroblasts promotes nerve regeneration," the researchers claimed. This again demonstrates the flexibility of 3D printing technology in complex clinical procedures. A: Nerve regeneration in mice using a 3D printed catheter B: Nerve regeneration in mice using a silicone catheter (compiled from 3dprint) Source: Tiangongshe SHAANXI HAIBO BIOTECHNOLOGY CO., LTD , https://www.rozenbio.com