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Briefing
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- 3D Printed Spinal Implant – Researchers at University of California, San Diego 3D printed spinal cord implants that restored function in hind limbs of rats with spinal cord injuries
- Advanced Bioprinting Technique – Adopted microscale continuous projection printing (μCPP), which can print biological materials 1,000 times faster and at higher resolutions than traditional 3D-printing
- Biocompatible Material – Used hydrogel called polyethylene glycol–gelatin methacrylate which is compatible with spinal axons, part of nerve cell (neuron) that carries nerve impulses away from cell body
- Microchannels – Scaffold contains 200-micrometer microchannels to guide nerves, which are then filled with neural stem cells to encourage axon growth
- Human-Size Implants – Also printed human scaffolds with size estimated from MRI scans
- Next Steps – Conduct more studies on materials and structures, experiment on larger animals, and perform human trials in five years (2024)
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Accelerator
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Sector
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Healthcare/Health Sciences
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Organization
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University of California - San Diego
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Source
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Original Publication Date
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January 17, 2019
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