Scientists create artificial children's ears

Chinese scientists, using high technology, learned to grow cells for subsequent printing on a 3D printer of artificial auricles for children suffering from microtia - congenital reduction of the size of the auricle. This disease is able to reduce hearing, reduce the functionality of the auditory analyzers.

For the first time in world practice, researchers practically jewelery learned how to collect chondrocytes - cartilage cells from their own cells of a child suffering from microtia. Sick cells are used to grow the carcass of new, healthy ears. Ready ears are first modeled using a computer program, and then it becomes the basis of the task for a 3D printer.

Then the artificial eye is transplanted surgically into the patient's ear. In fact, the implant allows you to reconstruct the auricle. The structural anomaly of the development of the outer ear is not as common, but can greatly complicate the life of a baby, affecting its hearing, perception, development of speech and delivering a lot of cosmetic inconveniences.

The experiment lasted for the last 2.5 years. To date, new organs of hearing have been created so far only for five young patients. The experiment for all children was a success. Now Chinese scientists plan to put production on a permanent basis. This will require state support funds, sponsorship money, so that the new technique can be publicly available and artificial auricles can get into all children's hospitals in the country and the world.

According to the well-known biomedical transplantologist of the American University Cornell (New York) Lawrence Bonassar, this development has been the dream of all transplantologists for the past 20 years. This is a real breakthrough in medicine, which will allow thousands of sick children to gain hearing.

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