Artificial Cornea

[Andrew MacLean]

Has anybody seen the information on a new method of growing corneal tissue on an artificial matrix? I got an RSS alert which I stupidly failed to store.

I can't remember what the method is called, but, in summary, it appears to be predicated on the assumption toat cells taken from the recipient can be frown into new corneal tissue on an artificially generated framework. Because the grafted tissue is actually native to the host there is no danger of rejection.

it did say that an operation had been conducted on an 85 year old recipinet in Indianna.

I have also found a reference to something similar at Harvard U. Their system is called Keratoprosthesis.

Searching on the Internet I hve found these two related sites:

http://www.meei.harvard.edu/shared/ophtho/cornea2.php
and
http://www.pricevisiongroup.com/cornea_transplant.html

The RSS report did not spedify the stage reached by the research, but it did seem to me to be a very good idea indeed.

Andrew

[jayuk]

Andrew

Yes, I have read about this, it has been underway for the past 4 years across various programmes and countries....where I beleive Australia and USA have made the most advances...indeed this would be the ideal solution.....and lets hope that we can grow the tissue within the next 10 years and actually remove this daming rejection nightmare that haunts all that have the Transplant

J

[GarethB]

There has been a ton of research on trying to generate ears and noses where a cartelage type matrix is used and the cells grow around that.

You probably remember the picture of a mouse witha human ear onit back which outraged many.

The challenge with the cornea is not so much the cell growth and shape, but my understanding is that the technical challenge is the collegen needs to have a regular orientation for the cornea to be clear.

Will read the links properly tonight.

[jayuk]

That makes sense...I remember a paper of some sort from Alphacor (the current artificla cornea makers)...who reffered to the challenges of growing corneas in the current scientific arena....that may also be worth while reading

[GarethB]

Pretty much all the technological know how is there.

We can grow skin for grafting purposes, we can make artificail appendages and do all manner of reconstructive surgery and keep organs going for some time.

Now science is pulling that know how together to grow something clear.

From the C3R research, the curvature on a treated cornea is much more pronounced. (OK these re corneas taken from pig eyes purchased from the lcoal buther. At least the animal was in the food chain and not killed just for science)

Perhaps there is potential for being able to grow a flat cornea like we would skin and then subject to the C3R treatment to get the curvature.

[jayuk]

Hmm interesting...BUT, and excuse my ignorance here....but how did the "Ear" experiement gets its surface structure and physical shape? surely that comes from the cells and teh respectiev signalling that occurs when we grow tissue of any kind? or have just made all tooo simple?......

[GarethB]

1) Good question.

2) Not Sure

3) Certain cells grow independent of 'signals' just as long as the growth medium is conducive to maintaining healthy cells which then reproduce automatically.

4) Will try and google for the mouse work, I think it was to do with collegen filling a bio-degradable scaffold which gave the structure. As this took shape, I think the mouse sking grew and stretched over the ear as it developed.

[Andrew MacLean]

I think all this makes sense. I am left with questions about how the 'sculpt' the artificially grown tissue to fit the host eye. I guess they allow the natural epithelium to grow post transplant.

Things do seem to have started to move at a quicker pace.

Andrew