Adult rat retinal ganglion cells and glia can be printed by piezoelectric inkjet printing

British scientists investigated whether inkjet printing technology can be extended to print cells of the adult rat central nervous system (CNS), retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and glia, and the effects on survival and growth of these cells in culture, which is an important step in the development of tissue grafts for regenerative medicine, and may aid in the cure of blindness. They observed that RGC and glia can be successfully printed using a piezoelectric printer. Importantly, the viability of the cells was not affected by bioprinting manipulation as any significant difference in number between printed and unprinted cells in culture was not observed. Printed glial cells retain their growth-promoting properties when used as a substrate, opening new possibilities for printed CNS grafts in regenerative medicine.

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