Cauliflower ear is a condition a lot of athletes involved with physical contact sports are familiar with, but for the general public, it might be a foreign concept. It is caused when the ear experiences a significant amount of trauma which results in blood pooling in the outer element of the ear, giving it a deformed appearance, aka cauliflower ear.
Needless to say, it isn’t an ideal condition.
Great news, though; cauliflower ear could become a thing of the past, according to an article from The Good News Network.
“Rugby players, boxers and wrestlers may soon be able to heal their deformed cauliflower ears with the help of a simple injection. Chinese researchers have developed a new 3D-bioprinting machine capable of making new tissue without the need for traumatic surgery,” the article explains.
The article states how “the international team used a non-invasive technique to 3D-bioprint new ears for mice, a procedure which creates layers of tissue similarly to how spare parts are built by conventional 3D printers in industry. Instead of ink, the researchers created a mix of cartilage cells and chemicals that were administered beneath the skin at the back of the ear. The new tissue began forming immediately, correcting genetically malformed “auricles” in the lab rodents—the visible part of the ear outside the head.
“One month later, the cartilage had maintained its shape and been colonized by blood vessels and muscles to begin growing and renewing themselves normally.
“The “bio-ink”, which was described in the study published in Science Advances, is controlled using rays of near-infrared digital light, rather than UV light that is harmful to the cells.
“A microchip called a DMB (digital micromirror device) with a customized pattern was painlessly inserted beneath the mouse’s skin in order to trigger the “bio-ink” solution to make the new tissue, layer by layer.
“After correcting the deformity, the extremity looked perfectly normal—and the team believe the procedure will also work for humans.”
How wonderful is this recent advancement?
ontheedgeofeverything 