Functional human ears can now be made with 3-D printers

Did you hear the one about the fully functional artificial human ear made with a 3-D printer? Actually, it's no joke. Scientists have bioengineered an artificial ear made using a 3-D printer that looks and works like a normal human ear. It's created by squirting a gel made from living cow ear cells and collagen into a 3D-printed injection mold. In three months, the cells form an ear that can be surgically attached to people who were born without or have lost an outer ear. More research is needed to make sure the ears are safe to attach, but surgeons predict that could happen in just a few years  — so keep an ear out for updates. [Source]

Click msnNOW.com, updated 24 hours a day.