Scientists have tested a new way to restore sight to the blind
The emergence of affordable bioimplants will solve the problem of the shortage of donor corneas.
Linköping University (Sweden) scientists said they had discovered a new way to restore vision in blind patients. We are talking about an artificial cornea made from collagen protein obtained from pigskin. EurekAlert writes about the discovery.
Experts call their invention affordable and are confident it will help many patients who do not have significant funds for expensive procedures and operations.
They note that their method of restoring vision is suitable for patients who have lost sight due to specific problems with the cornea when a corneal transplant from a human donor is the only way to regain vision.
About 12.7 million people worldwide lose sight due to injuries or diseases of the cornea. Sometimes you have to wait for her transplant for years. It's no secret that many patients never do it - no donors, no money. But our method solves this problem, the researchers say.
Speaking about how their artificial cornea works, the Swedish scientists said that it consists of collagen and is made from proteins derived from pigskin.
During the manufacture of the implant, the collagen molecules were stabilized and formed a solid and transparent material that can withstand implantation in the eye, they noted.
They also noticed that their product is more resistant to external conditions than the human cornea. So, if a donor can wait for a transplant for about two weeks, then the effect they created can wait for a turn for a transplant for almost two years.
Among the advantages of an artificial cornea is an easier way to treat keratoconus (when your cornea becomes very thin, which leads to blindness). And if, until now, doctors had to remove the patient's worn-out cornea to replace it with a donor cornea with the cornea created now, there is no need to remove your own.
They said that only a small incision is needed, into which the implant is inserted, and which can be made with a laser or conventional surgical instruments.
The specialists noted that they had already carried out several successful operations when patients who had lost their sight were again able to feel what full vision is.