Dr Di Girolamo and Dr Watson of The University of New South Wales, have made a major breakthrough in their quest to restore sight to sufferers of blinding corneal disease. According to the researchers “Sight was significantly improved within weeks of the procedure, which is simple, inexpensive and requires a minimal hospital stay.”
A paper detailing the breakthrough appears in the high-impact journal Transplantation this week.
The trial was conducted on three patients; two with extensive corneal damage resulting from multiple surgeries to remove ocular melanomas, and one with the genetic eye condition aniridia. Other causes of cornea damage can include chemical or thermal burns, bacterial infection and chemotherapy.
All three patients in the trial suffered from extensive corneal damage or aniridia. The researchers are “hopeful the technique can be adapted for use in other parts of the eye, such as the retina, and even in other organs.”
A paper detailing the breakthrough appears in the high-impact journal Transplantation this week. You can find more information on the UNSW website.
[via UNSW]