For every 70 people who need a corneal implant, only one donor cornea is available. Now, a breakthrough in 3D bioprinting may change that reality. A single donor cornea can be used to 3D-print hundreds of high-quality, identical copies—marking a major leap forward in restoring sight.
A First-of-Its-Kind Success in Israel
So far, 3D printing in healthcare has mostly supported surgical models, prosthetics, and customised implants for the skull, teeth, and hips. However, last month, a 3D-printed cornea—called PB-001—restored sight to a 70-year-old woman who had been blind in one eye. The surgery took place at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, Israel, and represents the first successful human transplantation of a fully lab-grown cornea.
Aryeh Batt, co-founder and CEO of Precise Bio, the Israeli biotech company behind PB-001, described the moment as historic. “This transplant is a moment of real hope for millions of people waiting for corneal donations,” he told The Jerusalem Post. He emphasized that this is the first time an implant made entirely in a lab from human source cells has worked in a human patient. The procedure forms part of the company’s phase I clinical trial, and the patient has shown strong early recovery.
Why 3D-Printed Corneas Are a Game-Changer
Donor corneas remain rare, and waiting periods often stretch into years. Even when available, their quality varies based on the donor’s age and health. Corneal tissue also has a short shelf life, making storage and transport difficult.
In contrast, 3D-printed corneas could overcome these limitations entirely. According to 3Dprint.com, bioprinted corneas may soon be available as “ready-to-use implants—frozen and on demand.” Their quality would be consistent each time, eliminating the uncertainty tied to natural tissue. This advancement marks a major milestone for bioprinting, as PB-001 will enable printed tissues to function seamlessly as part of a living organ.
Swiss Scientists Develop a Self-Adhesive 3D-Printed Implant
Precise Bio is not the only group advancing bioprinted vision technology. Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), along with partners in Zurich and the Netherlands, have developed a transparent, self-adhesive 3D-printed corneal implant that does not rely on human donors.
As reported by TOI, the implant uses a biocompatible hydrogel made of collagen and hyaluronic acid. Markus Rottmar from Empa told News Medical that 3D extrusion bioprinting customizes the implant to each patient’s corneal curvature. Next, researchers will add human stem cells to help the implant support natural tissue regeneration. Since it is self-adhesive, the implant would eliminate the need for sutures and reduce post-operative complications.
India’s Progress: Successful Animal Trials
In India, researchers at IIT Hyderabad have successfully tested their 3D-printed human cornea—made from donor-derived bio-ink without any animal or synthetic material—on rabbits. Researchers in South Korea have also achieved promising results with their own bioprinted corneas.
A Future Where Vision Is More Accessible
Although these groundbreaking developments are still in early clinical stages, they mark the beginning of a transformative era in ophthalmology. As global research accelerates, 3D-printed corneas could eventually make blindness from corneal disease far more preventable.
For now, one thing is clear: seeing is believing, and 3D bioprinting is bringing that vision closer to reality.