Hydrogel Corneas Can Restore Vision

Meet Mrs. Hernandez. She is 60 years old and suffers from bullous keratopathy: cysts on the corneas. If left untreated, there’s a good chance she’ll lose her sight sooner or later .

To prevent this, she chose to have a cornea transplant performed. However, her eyesight did not improve after this. So she needed another operation. She is currently waiting for another cornea donor.

Today, there are millions of people waiting for a cornea transplant, just like Ms. Hernandez. Unfortunately, it is rare to find donors for this part of the eye .

In addition, corneas tend to deteriorate over time. Blindness is therefore often related to the complex structure of the cornea, which contains the largest number of nerves in the body.

Scientists have been looking for alternatives for years. For example, they were looking for  a way to replace the cornea without having to wait for a donor, including the possibility of rejection.

The solution? Hydrogel corneas. This corneal prosthesis was developed by biomedical scientist Berkay Ozcelik at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

This would allow Mrs. Hernandez to get corneas to fit her body. In addition, these prostheses would be in perfect condition and she would not have to wait for a donor. In principle, she should be able to regain her sight. In this article you can read all about this incredible discovery.

Hydrogel corneas

First, let’s take a look at what your corneas do. That way we can better understand the impact of this incredible discovery. Here’s what you need to know:

• The cornea is the outermost layer of your eye.
• It protects you from pathogens, dust and other external irritants.
• It allows your eye to focus. When your corneas harden or lose their elasticity, you are no longer able to distinguish the details of the objects around you.
• A healthy cornea is moist and transparent, but age and diseases such as those mentioned above affect tissue and function.

Corneas that restore vision

When we talk about organ donation, most people immediately think of the vital organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys. However, most people do not know that corneas can give sight back to the people who have lost it. That’s why this find is incredibly exceptional:

• First of all, patients no longer have to wait for the death of a donor to receive a transplant.
• In addition, they do not need to receive more than one graft.
• Hydrogel corneas will fit any individual perfectly as they are made from his or her own stem cells. This prevents rejection.

What are hydrogel corneas?

This is how these corneas are made:

• Corneal endothelial cells are grown in the lab on a layer of hydrogel. To do this, DNA samples are taken from the patient to avoid rejection.
• Then these cells are grown on the layer of hydrogel until finally this thin layer can be inserted into the eye through an almost invisible incision.
• The new cells have the ability to restore the function of oxygen and water in the new cornea. This keeps these corneas flexible and moist.
• The layer of hydrogel is thinner than a human hair (50 microns) and after a few months it breaks down on its own, allowing the cells to continue their function without artificial help.

The goal is to make this new cornea permanent, prevent rejection and ensure that the immune system recognizes these cornea as the body’s own.

Future perspectives with hydrogel cornea

At the moment it is only tested in the laboratory, with a remarkable success score. Meanwhile, many people are already talking about an effective solution for many types of blindness. Even the discoverer Berkay Ozcelik doesn’t want to rush. Human testing will begin within two months. We will have to wait for the results.

Growing corneal cells will provide new hope for millions of people currently living in a dark world. So we are certainly looking forward to the positive results.