November 21 (Reuters) - In an unprecedented development, a legally blind patient has received a 3D-printed cornea made from human eye cells, in a successful start to an early-stage trial, according to Precision Bio, the manufacturer of the transplanted cornea.

Currently, corneal transplants require eye tissue from human donors. As with all human tissue and organ transplants, demand is usually greater than supply.

Researchers said the 3D printing process allows for the production of hundreds of implants developed in the laboratory from cells from a single donor's cornea.

"For the first time in history, we have witnessed a cornea produced in a laboratory, from living human cells, restoring sight to a human being," said surgeon Michael Maimoni of Rambam Medical Center in Israel in a statement.

He added, "It was... a glimpse of a future where no one will have to live in darkness because of a lack of donated tissue."

The ongoing first phase of trials involves corneal transplants for a total of 10 to 15 patients. Precision Bio, headquartered in North Carolina with operations in Israel, expects to announce preliminary study results in the second half of 2026.

(Prepared by Marwa Gharib for the Arabic Bulletin)