Doctors Transplant Ear of Human Cells, Made By 3D Printer (nytimes.com) 13
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: A 20-year-old woman who was born with a small and misshapen right ear has received a 3-D printed ear implant made from her own cells, the manufacturer announced on Thursday. Independent experts said that the transplant, part of the first clinical trial of a successful medical application of this technology, was a stunning advance in the field of tissue engineering. The new ear was printed in a shape that precisely matched the woman's left ear, according to 3DBio Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine company based in Queens. The new ear, transplanted in March, will continue to regenerate cartilage tissue, giving it the look and feel of a natural ear, the company said.
The results of the woman's reconstructive surgery were announced by 3DBio in a news release. Citing proprietary concerns, the company has not publicly disclosed the technical details of the process, making it more difficult for outside experts to evaluate. The company said that federal regulators had reviewed the trial design and set strict manufacturing standards, and that the data would be published in a medical journal when the study was complete. The clinical trial, which includes 11 patients, is still ongoing, and it's possible that the transplants could fail or bring unanticipated health complications. But since the cells originated from the patient's own tissue, the new ear is not likely to be rejected by the body, doctors and company officials said.
The results of the woman's reconstructive surgery were announced by 3DBio in a news release. Citing proprietary concerns, the company has not publicly disclosed the technical details of the process, making it more difficult for outside experts to evaluate. The company said that federal regulators had reviewed the trial design and set strict manufacturing standards, and that the data would be published in a medical journal when the study was complete. The clinical trial, which includes 11 patients, is still ongoing, and it's possible that the transplants could fail or bring unanticipated health complications. But since the cells originated from the patient's own tissue, the new ear is not likely to be rejected by the body, doctors and company officials said.
Coming Soon (Score:5, Funny)
Impossible foods can finally serve Mike Tyson.
Re: (Score:3)
I'm more impressed by the proposed ability to reconstruct spinal discs. There are millions of people with degenerative disc disease that have ruptured or herniated discs that might be helped by replacement surgery with the patient's own tissue. It would be a much better treatment than spinal fusion surgery, which typically only helps for about 12 months.
Artificial Disc Replacement or Spinal Fusion: Which is Better for You [spine-health.com]
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Yeah definitely, but they have to test it on stuff like this first and justify its potential to investors. Hopefully without going bankrupt in the process. It's not easy to raise adequate money in biotech. Biotech requires the most patient investors. It's not like software, lots of companies fail after a few billion have been poured into it. They have to prove the tech at every step to win confidence for the next level. I mean, investors have other less risky options than trying to fund spinal disc reconstr
Excuse me, but ... (Score:2)
You have a 3D printer in your ear.
Sorry, I can't hear you; I have a 3D printer in my ear.
Paywalled (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
And all the products on the shelves at the supermarket should be free.
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Block cookies from NYT. Delete cookies from NYT.
Now you get a perpetual free trial of NYT.
Only a matter of time (Score:3, Insightful)
Not with this technology.. (Score:2)
Ear is cartilage. Penis is spongy tissue. [wikipedia.org] Yes. Like Bob Squarepants.
Also, way more complicated than cartilage.
Basically, if you can print spongy tissue you can already print any smooth muscle tissue - from veins to intestines and bladders.
I.e. Fuck penises. Imagine the money in the industry of replacing atherosclerotic veins and arteries of the world's growing geriatric population. They'd be throwing in a new bladder for free.
This is functionally no different than what was done WAY BACK in the last century
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Well, I dunno, but I think a cartilage-enhanced penis might work better than the spongy tissue one.
Hmmm... (Score:5, Funny)
The new ear was printed in a shape that precisely matched the woman's left ear
I hope they didn't print a precise match of the woman's left ear and instead printed a mirror image of her left ear.
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It was an earnantiomer.