Researchers explore 3D bioprinting to treat vision disorders
October 15, 2024 • P&N, Research
Researchers at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth are pioneering the use of 3D bioprinting technology to address keratoconus, a debilitating condition that affects the cornea and can lead to blindness.
The interdisciplinary effort, led by Drs. Dimitrios Karamichos and Jayoung Kim, could expand treatment options for patients suffering from this progressive vision disorder.
Keratoconus, a disease that causes the cornea to thin and bulge, affects as many as one in 300 people globally. This condition not only impairs vision but also can lead to severe complications, including blindness, if left untreated.
“The rate of progression varies from patient to patient,” said Karamichos, interim dean of HSC’s College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences and executive director of the North Texas Eye Research Institute. “It could accelerate to severe stages quickly. At that point, the patient would require treatment.”
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