过去几年的案例已经证明3D打印技术在医疗材料（医疗器械）领域切实可用，而且应用将飞速发展。近日，美国科研人员首次开发出了3D打印规硅胶支架导管，可以帮助受损的复杂神经再生恢复其感觉和运动功能。有可能帮助到每年20万不幸遭遇到神经损伤或者相关疾病的患者。
（图片来源University of Maryland）
神经再生是一个非常复杂的过程，在损伤或疾病后的神经再生是非常困难的，神经性损伤往往是永久性的，以目前的医学技术也很难帮助患者恢复良好。但是如今，有科学家借助3D打印方法为这一问题找到了一个解决方案。研究人员通过3D成像与3D打印技术创建了一个植入了神经系统的定制硅胶导管（支架），以帮助神经再生。目前，这个3D打印导板的有效性已经在实验室里通过了对老鼠的测试，使神经受损的老鼠在植入3D打印管后的几个月后再次获得了行走的能力。虽然目前尚未进行人体试验，但这项研究说明了3D打印定制的神经导管（支架引导系统）可以用于复杂神经损伤再生，意义重大，科研人员表示希望下一步能在开展人.体.试验。
这项研究成果发表在期刊《高级功能材料》上：3D Printed Anatomical Nerve Regeneration Pathways，DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201501760。摘要：A 3D printing methodology for the design, optimization, and fabrication of a custom nerve repair technology for the regeneration of complex peripheral nerve injuries containing bifurcating sensory and motor nerve pathways is introduced. The custom scaffolds are deterministically fabricated via a microextrusion printing principle using 3D models, which are reverse engineered from patient anatomies by 3D scanning. The bifurcating pathways are augmented with 3D printed biomimetic physical cues (microgrooves) and path-specific biochemical cues (spatially controlled multicomponent gradients). In vitro studies reveal that 3D printed physical and biochemical cues provide axonal guidance and chemotractant/chemokinetic functionality. In vivo studies examining the regeneration of bifurcated injuries across a 10 mm complex nerve gap in rats showed that the 3D printed scaffolds achieved successful regeneration of complex nerve injuries, resulting in enhanced functional return of the regenerated nerve. This approach suggests the potential of 3D printing toward advancing tissue regeneration in terms of: (1) the customization of scaffold geometries to match inherent tissue anatomies; (2) the integration of biomanufacturing approaches with computational modeling for design, analysis, and optimization; and (3) the enhancement of device properties with spatially controlled physical and biochemical functionalities, all enabled by the same 3D printing process.
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