India’s first 3D-printed Cornea Developed in Hyderabad - All You Need to Know

India’s First 3D Printed Cornea: India’s first 3D-printed Cornea Developed in Hyderabad by Researchers from L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H), and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). The artificial Cornea which has been developed by the Hyderabad-based research team has been 3D printed and transplanted into a rabbit’s eye. The team which is comprised of clinicians and scientists has dedicated their achievement as a research gift to the nation on the 75th Independence Day.The made-in-India product could offer an alternative solution to corneal blindness.

#MadeInIndia#IndiaAt75
Happy to share - in collaboration with @ccmb_csir@IITHyderabad, #LVPEI has developed the first 3D-printed human cornea in the country #India& transplanted it into a rabbit eye.
Read more: https://t.co/XRRVOSoOoW@PMOIndia@teamTSIC
🧵1/3 pic.twitter.com/1ZzBnlftYI

— LVPEI (@lvprasadeye) August 16, 2022

1st Step Towards 3D Printed Human Cornea

The 3D Printed artificial cornea developed by the Hyderabad research team is the first step towards the development of a fully operational Artificial Human Cornea. The initial results produced during the animal testing have proven that the 3D printed Artificial Cornea is optically and physically suitable for transplantation.

The 3D Printed Artificial Corneas developed by the team will undergo further clinical testing and development to make them suitable for use in human patients. The team will continue their research in the direction of creating a 3D Printed Human Cornea which can be transplanted for patients who have lost vision due to Corneal damage. The successful transplant of the 3D Printed Artificial Cornea provides much-needed hope to the people blinded due to corneal reasons. 

Importance of the Research Study

As mentioned above, the development of 3D Printed Artificial Cornea marks the first step toward the development of the Human Cornea which can be used in patients. The 3D-printed artificial cornea was created using decellularized corneal tissue matrix and stem cells derived from the human eye. These materials created a unique biomimetic hydrogel which was used as the base material to 3D Print the Artificial Cornea. As the materials being used to 3D print artificial cornea are based on the human corneal tissue, the end product is also biocompatible, natural, and free of animal residues. The artificial cornea can be 3D printed into different sizes ranging from 3 mm to 13 mm and can be customized as per the patient’s specifications.

The development of 3D Printed Human Cornea will also pave the way for the treatment of corneal scarring - a disease where the cornea becomes opaque as well as Keratoconus,a disorder where the cornea gradually becomes thin with time.

The Research Team

The team of researchers involved in the project included clinicians and scientists. Dr SayanBasu and Dr Vivek Singh from L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad are the lead researchers for the project. They are assisted by other team members including Dr Bokara Kiran Kumar, senior scientist, CCMB, Dr Falguni Pati, associate professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad. Research students- Shibu Chameettachal, Deeksha Prasad, Yash Parekh and others from LVPEI, CCMB and IIT-H.