CHICAGO — Using 3D-printing technology, researchers have created an artificial ovary that has successfully restored fertility in a sterilized mouse.

The artificial ovary is a 3D-printed multi-layer scaffold made out of gelatin, a biological hydrogel that is strong enough to be self-supporting.

The scaffold is filled with ovarian follicles, which contain immature egg cells. The structure is then transplanted into mice, where the follicles continue to mature until ovulation.

“This is the first study that demonstrates that scaffold architecture makes a difference in follicle survival. We wouldn’t be able to do that if we didn’t use a 3D printer platform,” said Ramille Shah, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Researchers said the scaffold can recapitulate how an ovary would function in different stages in life, therefore an ovary implant could also help cancer survivors in terms of hormone replacement therapy.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.