A team from Linköping University, Sweden, announced on Thursday August 11 in the scientific journal Nature Biotechnologyhaving succeeded in restoring sight to three blind people using an implant made from pigskin cells.
Bioartificial corneas were fitted to 20 patients with keratoconus, 14 of whom were blind. Three regained full vision, all partially regained sight. After two years of follow-up, no complications were reported in the 20 patients.
A more accessible operation
In the advanced stage of keratoconus (a disease of the cornea), only corneal transplantation from human grafts can restore sight. The progress of the Swedish team might make it possible, by using pig skin cells that are easier to obtain than human grafts, to make the operation more accessible.
“We have gone to great lengths to ensure that our invention would be widely available and affordable to everyone, not just the wealthy,” explained ?Mehrdad Rafat, first author of the study, relayed by Sciences and future.
The first encouraging results should make it possible to continue testing in humans, but there is still a long way to go before a possible marketing.
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