New Artificial Cornea Shows Promise

May 19, 2008 | Source: WebMD

Stanford University researchers have developed an artificial polymer-gel cornea that could replace cornea transplants involving donors.

The new cornea is made of interwoven polymer gels with water-absorbency, which makes its water content similar to that of the natural cornea. Currently, only one artificial cornea is approved for use in the U.S., and its failure rate in patients is about 20% a year.

10 million people worldwide have lost their sight to corneal diseases or illness such as ocular herpes and keratoconus. Transplants from cadaver donors are not an option in many parts of the world, due to shortages of donors or religious barriers.