Cell-Shaped 4D Structures Result in Self-Curving Corneas

Jan-20-19 A new biological system that allows cells to mold into the desired shape has resulted in the world’s first self-curving cornea.

As the shortage of donated corneas worsens, researchers at Newcastle University have turned to what they call 4D structures, which uses cells to trigger the shape of a complex 3D structure. According to the team, the fourth dimension in the procedure is time, which is required for the process to take place. In this case, corneal stem cells were encapsulated in a collagen gel cast into a pair of concentric flat circles and then treated with a serum of peptide amphiphile molecules. The serum triggered the cells to act as biological actuators and force the material into the desired shape.

According to professor Che Connon, “This may lead us to imagine a future where such an approach can be combined with key-hole surgery enabling a surgeon to implant tissue in one shape which then develops into a more complex, functional shape within the body, driven by the behavior of the cells themselves.”

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