3D Printed Silicone and Stem Cell Implant to Treat Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries are notorious for the disabilities they cause and for the difficulty of finding a way to fix them. At the University of Minnesota, researchers are pointing to a potential solution in the form of 3D printed scaffolds seeded with neuronal stem cells. The team has already created a prototype device, made of silicone with living cells printed into its structure. The device is designed to be implanted at the site of injury, to allow the cells embedded within it to proliferate and link the two disconnected parts of a spinal cord together. Hopefully, this would lead to a meaningful recovery in paralyzed patients’ functional abilities.