Science and Medicine

International News: Possibility of an Artificial Cornea

Now, thanks to science, people with damaged corneas will no longer have to wait for donors, as it has now become possible to create artificial corneas using biomimetic materials.

Prof. Curtis W Frank, a chemical engineer has unveiled at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society informed that the biomimetic material that can be used for constructing artificial corneas.

Called DuoptixTM, the hydrogel, a polymer that holds the pores are engineered into the artificial cornea for cells to infiltrate the artificial lens and integrate it with surrounding natural issue.

The material is made of up two interwoven networks of hydrogels. One network is made of polyethylene glycol molecules, which resist the accumulation of surface proteins and inflammation, while the other is made of molecules of polyacrylic acid, a relative of the super absorbent material in diapers. The material can swell to water content, about the same as biological tissues. “think of a fishnet, but think of a 3-D fishnet. It's a strong, stretchy material. That makes it able to survive suturing during surgery. The biocompatible hydrogel is transparent and permeable to nutrients, including glucose, the cornea's favorite food,” said Pro Frank.

Scientists have tried to develop artificial corneas for half a century, but prototypes were not well tolerated. Infections developed around implants. Eyes extruded implants.

Only a few years ago, in a pilot study for a Bio-X grant to sow proof of concept, researchers began to test the hydrogel in assays to take sure it was not toxic to cells. Soon other experts joined the effort.

Collaborators on the hydrogel work are researchers from Stanford Institute for Polymer Science, Dresden , Germany ; and Max Planck Institute, Mainz , Germany .

Researches are now testing the material for biocompatibility in animal models. Animals have tolerated artificial corneas with no problems in trails as long as eight weeks. “The material remains perfectly clear. Longer trails are a next step,” said Prof. Christopher Ta, a researcher.

Source: New hope to the blind. Central Chronicle, Daily. Bhopal , 14 September 2006 .