歌手姚貝娜去世后，捐獻眼角膜幫助三名患者重見光明，感動了無數人。但全球角膜移植供體緊缺仍是不爭的事實。如今，英國科學家采用3D打印技術，10分鐘就可以打印出符合不同患者特點的眼角膜，未來有望無限量供應。

Doctor Steve Swioklo and Professor Che Connon, from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, display the world's first 3D printed human corneas. NEWSCOM

Human corneas have successfully been 3D printed for the first time by scientists at Newcastle University in England.

英國紐卡斯爾大學的科學家首次成功采用3D技術打印出人類眼角膜。

By mixing stem cells from a healthy donor cornea with alginate, a gel derived from seaweed, and collagen, researchers managed to create a "bio-ink" solution that can be printed.

科學家通過將來自健康供體角膜的干細胞與藻鹽酸（來自海藻的凝膠）和膠原蛋白混合在一起，創造出可以打印的“生物墨水”溶液。

This bio-ink then would be successfully expelled out of the printer in concentric circles in the shape of a cornea in less than 10 minutes, according to a paper published in Experimental Eye Research.

之后，3D打印機可以把這種生物墨水成功打印成眼角膜的同心圓狀，整個過程僅需10分鐘。這項研究成果發表在《實驗性眼科研究》期刊上。

"Our unique bio-gel -- a combination of alginate and collagen -- keeps the stem cells alive while producing a material which is stiff enough to hold its shape but soft enough to be squeezed out the nozzle of a 3D printer," said lead researcher Che Connon in a press release.

首席研究員徹-康農在新聞稿中說：“我們獨一無二的生物墨水由藻鹽酸和膠原蛋白制成，使干細胞保持活力，同時制造出足夠堅硬的材料以保持其形狀，而且足夠柔軟以從3D打印機的噴嘴擠出?！?/p>

Connon's team also showed it is possible to create a cornea that matches a patient's unique specifications.

康農的團隊還向人們展示出，打印出符合患者不同特點的角膜是完全可行的。

By taking the dimensions of the patient's actual cornea with scans, scientists can use the data to print a cornea that matches its size and shape.

科學家通過掃描患者的眼睛來量取其真實角膜的尺寸，之后使用這些數據打印出與其大小和形狀相配的眼角膜。

The 3D printed corneas will now have to undergo further testing but it is hoped the technique could be in regular use within five years.

3D打印的人類角膜將需要進行進一步測試，但這一技術有望在5年內投入常規使用。

Professor Connon said the research could help with the worldwide shortage of corneas for transplant.

康農教授說，這項研究有助于緩解全球范圍內的眼角膜移植供體短缺問題。

Currently around 10 million people worldwide each year require surgery to prevent corneal blindness, and another five million already suffer total blindness from corneal scarring caused by burns, lacerations, abrasion or disease.

目前全球每年有大約1000萬人需要移植角膜來防止角膜盲。還有500萬人由于燒傷、撕裂、擦傷或疾病導致角膜瘢痕而完全失明。

英文來源：新華網

翻譯&編輯：yaning