3-D printed ovaries could help cancer survivors have healthy children!

Image for representational purpose only

New York: Scientists have developed a new world of three-dimensional (3-D) printed organs that includes implanted ovary structures which can actually ovulate and may help childhood cancer survivors to produce healthy children.

According to the study, the bioprosthetic ovaries was constructed of 3-D printed scaffolds that house immature eggs and found to successfully boost hormone production as well as restore fertility in mice.

Teresa K. Woodruff, a reproductive scientist at the Northwestern University in the US said, "This research shows these bioprosthetic ovaries have long-term, durable function."

Ramille Shah, Assistant Professor at the Northwestern University said, the architecture of the scaffold and the material, or "ink", that was used in the bioprosthetic ovaries are different from other 3-D printed structures.

The material used was gelatin -- a biological hydrogel made from broken-down collagen and is safe to use in humans.

Researchers said, the bioprosthetic ovaries may help restore fertility and hormone production in women who have undergone adult cancer treatments or those who survived childhood cancer and now have increased risks of infertility and hormone-based developmental issues.

Monica Laronda, Assistant Professor at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Illinois, US explained, "What happens with some of our cancer patients is that their ovaries don't function at a high enough level and they need to use hormone replacement therapies in order to trigger puberty."

Laronda said, "The purpose of this scaffold is to recapitulate how an ovary would function. We're thinking big picture, meaning every stage of the girl's life, so puberty through adulthood to a natural menopause."

Additionally, the successful creation of 3-D printed implants to replace complex soft tissue could also significantly impact future work in soft tissue regenerative medicine, the researchers stated.

The finding was published in the journal Nature Communications.

(With IANS inputs)