British eye surgeon plans first artificial cornea transplant to help people regain their sight

SURREY, ENGLAND — A British eye surgeon hopes to perform the country’s first artificial cornea transplant and initiate a UK trial of the procedure by early next year. Millions worldwide could benefit from the ground-breaking eye surgery procedure that’s able to correct blindness caused by malnutrition, disease or old age.

Sheraz Daya, a medical director at the Centre for Sight in Surrey, England, hopes to treat up to 12 patients in his trial. According to Express, this new procedure is still pending approval from relevant UK ethics committees.

Scientists have been able to create a synthetic cornea by growing human collagen in yeast. The collagen is then molded into the shape of a cornea, which is about the same shape as a contact lens.

Damaged tissue from eye is then removed while the synthetic replacement is stitched in place of the old, damaged tissue. The patient’s cells and corneal nerves then grow into the implant, incorporating the transplant fully into the eye.

A healthy cornea lets light into the back of the eye to the retina so that people can see. Damaged or scarred tissue on the cornea can cause blurred vision or loss of eyesight altogether. This new approach that Daya is advocating for, if successful, could restore vision to many in the UK without any need for actual cornea donors.
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