3D bioprinting for artificial cornea: Challenges and perspectives.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Ophthalmology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Corneal disease is a leading cause of global blindness, with transplantation being the primary treatment.
• A severe shortage of donor corneas (less than 1:70 ratio) necessitates the development of effective alternatives.
• Current research faces challenges in reconstructing corneal geometry and restoring optical function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the progress, applications, and limitations of current keratoprosthesis and tissue-engineering approaches for corneal blindness.
• To explore the potential of 3D bioprinting for creating corneal substitutes.
• To provide insights into the challenges and future directions for 3D bioprinting corneal alternatives.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on keratoprosthesis and tissue-engineered corneas.
• Analysis of 3D bioprinting applications in fabricating multi-layered corneal structures and surfaces.
• Discussion of research on single or multi-layer corneal equivalents and alternatives using 3D bioprinting.

Main Results:

• 3D bioprinting shows potential for personalized corneal implants with controlled structure and refractive properties.
• The technology facilitates the creation of single or multi-layer corneal equivalents.
• Current research highlights both the advantages and limitations of 3D bioprinting for corneal regeneration.

Conclusions:

• 3D bioprinting presents a viable and promising approach to address the donor cornea shortage.
• Further research is needed to overcome technical challenges in developing in vivo and in vitro 3D bioprinted corneal alternatives.
• This technology holds significant potential for restoring vision and improving patient outcomes in corneal blindness.