Researchers work on artificial ears

(CONNECT) Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital and the Friedrich Miescher Institute in Basel have taken a further step towards developing an artificial pinna. Using human ear cartilage cells, they were able to produce cartilage in the laboratory with mechanical properties similar to those of natural tissue, according to a press release.

Philipp Fisch's team used cells from small cartilage remnants left over after operations to correct ear shapes as the starting material. These were grown in cell cultures in such a way that sufficient quantities were available for a basic substance. The major challenge here is to generate collagen type II cells, which are typical of ear cartilage. In addition to the special collagen, the protein elastin must also be produced. This is a protein that gives the ear its flexibility. A mixture of elastin, collagen II and sugar-like glycosaminoglycans was embedded in so-called bio-ink. A piece of gelatine created from this using a 3D printer in the shape of an ear was then matured in an incubator for several weeks. "We have optimized cell proliferation, adapted the material properties, increased cell density and better controlled the maturation environment," Philipp Fisch is quoted as saying in the press release. The ear constructs were implanted subcutaneously in rats and the material remained stable for a period of six weeks.

"Despite the great success, the fact that elastin has not yet fully matured remains a challenge for us," says Fisch. The researchers are hoping for stable results within the next five years and subsequent successful clinical trials. There is great interest in artificial auricles to help people who have lost their auricles after fires or accidents. Or children who suffer from the rare disease microtia, an ear malformation. The current study has been published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. ce/ww