It is estimated that 12.7 million of people in the world suffer from blindness due to problems related to their corneas, but only one out of every 70 patients there is a chance to receive a transplant, as the procedure is usually expensive.
Based on this scenario, an international team of researchers has developed a low-cost prosthetic cornea made of collagen protein from pig skin. During a pilot study, the implant restored sight to 20 people with damaged corneas, most of whom were blind before undergoing the procedure.
According to experts, to create the implant it was necessary to stabilize the loose collagen molecules, obtaining from this process a strong and transparent material that is malleable and resistant enough to be manipulated and implanted without deforming.
Being a by-product of the meat industry, pig skin used as a raw material is easily accessible and low-cost, so if mass-produced, it will be accessible to thousands of low-income people who require a new cornea. In addition, the academics point out, these can be stored for up to 2 years, guaranteeing their availability at any time.
New sutureless implants
Similarly, the researchers developed a new and minimally invasive transplant procedure. Currently, the damaged tissue is surgically removed and the implant is sewn into the eye to fix it. In contrast, his methodology does not require stitches, as the incision in the eyeball is made with great precision thanks to the use of a state-of-the-art laser.
“A less invasive method could be used in more hospitals, helping more people. With our method, the surgeon does not need to remove the patient’s own tissue. Instead, a small incision is made through which the implant is inserted into the existing cornea,” explained study co-author Neil Lagali.
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“The results show that it is possible to develop a biomaterial that meets all the criteria for use as a human implant, that can be mass-produced and stored for up to 2 years and thus reach more people with vision problems Lagali said. .
According to the authors of the research, published this Thursday in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the results achieved so far have been promising, so it is expected that their prosthesis will be a cure for thousands of people suffering from corneal blindness and poor vision. it will no longer depend on donors or costly processes.
Original note from RT Spanish.
Photo: Linköping University / Thor Balkhed
