American scientists have designed an adhesive gel that can seal wound or ulcers on the surface of the eye, thus sparing the need for eye surgery.
The study published on Wednesday in the journal”Science Advances” showed that the gel packed with light-activatedchemicals can not only close the defect but also regenerate it, Xinhua newsagency reported.
“We wanted this material to allow the cells of thecornea to mesh with the adhesive and to regenerate over time to mimic somethingas close to the native cornea as possible,” said the paper’sco-corresponding author Reza Dana, a professor of ophthalmology at HarvardMedical School.
The gel is clear and viscous in a dropper or syringe, butwhen exposed to blue light in a short time, it hardens to take on features of anative cornea, and the the cornea cells gradually grow into and become one withthe gel, according to the study.
The gel is the first to use visible blue light as opposed toultraviolet light, which carries a level of toxicity.
In a preclinical study, the researchers administered the gelat 20 per cent concentration to corneal defects of 3 mm, and applied visiblelight for four minutes, leading to a firm adhesion to the defect.
One day later, they observed a transparent, smooth eyesurface without inflammation. Over time, the tissue regenerated and the newtissue showed few differences with the native one, according to the study.
The researchers expected to start clinical trials to testthe technology in human patients in approximately one year.
Corneal injuries are a common cause of visual impairment worldwide, with more than 1.5 million new cases of corneal blindness reported every year. Some of them require corneal transplants that carry risks of post-transplant complications like infection or rejection.