Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden used bioengineering to create a new corneal implant from skin. pork and be able to restore vision to people with Alzheimer’s disease. keratoconus.
After a pilot study in Iran and India, 20 patients who were blind or near-blind due to advanced disease recovered their vision after two years.
keratoconus
In the eye, the cornea is the outermost transparent dome-shaped layer responsible for vision. The cornea controls the amount of light entering the eye, which activates vision. In addition, the cornea helps protect the eye from bacteria and dirt, as well as filters the sun’s ultraviolet light.
keratoconus It is characterized by a weakened cornea, which loses its natural shape and begins to protrude, eventually becoming cone-shaped. Ophthalmologists don’t know what causes it, although researchers believe environmental and genetic factors may play a role.
In this sense, according to a study published in the journal natural biotechnologythis is when the skin comes in pork.
Because most of the cornea of the eye is made up of collagen, the researchers used highly purified collagen molecules from human skin. pork to create an alternative corneal material.
According to researchers, the skin pork it is readily available as it is a by-product of the food industry. Also, while doctors must use donated human corneas for two weeks, they can store skin-based implants for up to two weeks. pork up to two years.
Pigskin implantation
According to the research team, current methods of corneal transplantation include the surgical removal of a damaged human cornea and the suturing of a donor cornea.
“Because this is foreign human tissue, the patient must receive immunosuppressive eye drops for at least a year and must return to the clinic several times for adjustments, replacement and removal of sutures,” explained Dr. Neil Lagali, professor of the department. Doctor of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at the University of Linköping and leader of the research team that developed the new surgical method keratoconus. “Even so, vision is not optimal and requires further corrective refractive procedures.”
Dr. Lagali pointed to Medical news today that with this new, less invasive method of implantation, the patient retains his own cornea. The surgeon makes a small incision inside and inserts the bioengineered implant.
“The implant is acellular, so it does not elicit an immune response, and only an 8-week course of immunosuppressive eye drops is needed,” he continued. “No stitches are required, so the procedure can be done in one hospital visit. We show that this procedure can provide 20/20 vision to initially blind patients without the use of donor tissue.”
Dr. Lagali and his research team also found that the new implantation method prevents inflammation and wound healing is very fast.
The researchers conducted a pilot clinical study in 20 people with advanced keratoconus. Of the group of patients, 14 were completely blind, and the remaining six were on the verge of losing their vision before surgery. Two years after the operation, all 14 participants were no longer blind. And three participants who had no vision before the procedure had 20/20 vision after the procedure.
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Source: RPP
I’m Liza Grey, an experienced news writer and author at the Buna Times. I specialize in writing about economic issues, with a focus on uncovering stories that have a positive impact on society. With over seven years of experience in the news industry, I am highly knowledgeable about current events and the ways in which they affect our daily lives.