New 3D-printed device with living cells could help treat spinal cord injuries

Editor's Note

Engineers and neurosurgical researchers at the University of Minnesota have created a 3D-printed device with living cells that could help patients with long-term spinal cord injuries regain some function, according to this August 9 report from the University of Minnesota.

For the procedure, a 3D-printed guide, made of silicone, is customized to fit a patient’s spinal cord and serves as a platform for the patient’s own cells that are 3D printed on top of it.

The device is surgically implanted into the injured area of the spinal cord where it serves as a “bridge” between living nerve cells above and below the area of injury.

This is the first time researchers have been able to 3D print neuronal stem cells derived from adult human cells on a 3D-printed guide and have the cells differentiate into active nerve cells in the lab, the authors say.