Revolutionary Bioprinting Technique Offers Hope for Rapid
Eardrum Repair and Hearing Restoration
According to scientists at Sechenov University in Moscow,
a new technique for creating an eardrum through bioprinting has been developed with the help of live cells and a protein called collagen. Researcher Polina
Bukovlina explained in a statement that this new technique could enable
individuals with hearing loss to regain their ability to hear within a month.
Previously, scientists at Harvard University in the United States had unveiled
a method to restore hearing in three months.
According to Russia’s official news agency, RIA Novosti,
junior researcher Polina Bukovlina of the Institute of Regenerative Medicine at
Sechenov University revealed that scientists had decided to create new, more complex tissues to repair the eardrum. She explained that scientists used
previously prepared bio-ink, which included hydrogel and 3D cells capable of
interacting with live cells. Clinical Hospital No. 1 of Sechenov University’s
Clinic for Ear, Nose, and Throat Diseases Director, Professor Valery Soysetshkin,
stated that hearing loss and reduced hearing ability are common issues and
significant challenges for professionals. He added that the eardrum’s
perforation is a widespread problem affecting millions of people worldwide.
Hearing loss can lead to difficulties in professional and social life.
He further stated that the new technology makes it much
easier to help people with hearing loss, as the surgical procedure can be
performed much more quickly, in as little as 40 minutes. Currently, experiments
have been conducted on a type of mice whose eardrum is very similar to that of
humans. Afterward, clinical trials will be carried out on humans to address
hearing loss. According to Harvard University’s website, the Harvard John A.
Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Wyss
Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have previously developed a
device called the “fono graft,” which can be implanted with the help
of 3D bioprinting technology to repair eardrum perforations caused by holes,
inflammation, and hearing loss. If successful in clinical trials, the fono
graft technology could be used on a commercial scale to alleviate issues caused
by eardrum perforations, such as pain, moisture leakage, and hearing loss.
Millions of people worldwide are affected by eardrum perforations due to holes,
inflammation, and hearing loss.
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