Scientists 3D Print Corneas to Fight Global Transplant Shortage

Corneal blindness affects millions of people worldwide, but donor tissue is scarce. Israeli startup Precise Bio thinks 3D bioprinting can close that gap. The company is already running human trials and expects to sell its first 3D-printed corneas in the United States by 2030.

Precise Bio starts with a single donor cornea. Using a proprietary cell-expansion process, the company generates enough living cells from that one piece of tissue to fabricate more than 400 new corneas. Each implant is built layer by layer to match the transparent, curved structure of a natural cornea.

The technology produced the world's first corneal implant made entirely from lab-grown human cells last year. That milestone set the stage for the current Phase I trial in Israel, where surgeons are evaluating safety in human patients.

Co-founder Dr. Anthony Atala, a pioneer in regenerative medicine, said the shortage of donor corneas is the main bottleneck. "There is a huge deficit," Atala told Live Science. "Availability is a major challenge." Precise Bio plans to transplant an additional 10 patients before the end of 2026 as part of the ongoing study.

After Phase I, the company will file an Investigational New Drug application with the U.S. FDA. The goal is to run advanced studies in the United States, with commercial distribution targeted for 2030. European and Indian markets would follow.

The engineering challenges are substantial. A biofabricated cornea must be transparent, mechanically strong, and immunologically compatible. Precise Bio says its layered structure mimics the natural tissue closely enough to avoid the rejection risks that plague earlier artificial cornea attempts.

If the trials stay on track, 3D-printed corneas could represent one of the first real breakthroughs in transplant bioprinting. Most 3D-printed tissue work remains in the experimental stage. A commercial corneal product would be a proof of concept for the broader field.

The global demand is clear. Corneal transplants restore sight to people with scarring, inflammation, injury, and surgical complications. Right now, the procedure depends entirely on donor tissue. A manufacturing process that turns one donor cornea into hundreds of implants would fundamentally change the economics of sight restoration.