The Montpellier University Hospital placed a synthetic cornea on a blind patient in an attempt to restore his sight.
- The operation was performed on a 38-year-old man who suffered from keratitis linked to the herpes virus, leaving him with a large scar in the visual axis.
- He is the first in a clinical trial which will see seven other people receive artificial corneas at Montpellier University Hospital.
- The operation avoids rejection from donor transplants.
This is an immense hope for patients suffering from diseases of the cornea, which represent the third cause of blindness in the world. Current solutions for include transplants from donors which are sometimes rejected and whose lifespan is limited in time, often requiring a new transplant after about ten years. In recent years, researchers have been working on an alternative: an artificial corneal transplant.
Seven patients will receive corneas in Montpellier during clinical trials
Last Wednesday, November 10, the ophthalmology department of the CHU of Montpellier placed the first artificial transplant of the European cornea. The operation was performed on a 38-year-old man who suffered from keratitis linked to the herpes virus, leaving him with a large scar in the visual axis. On several occasions, the patient from Bordeaux was refused the transplant. He is the first in a clinical trial which will see seven other people receive artificial corneas at Montpellier University Hospital.
The corneal model used was designed in Israel by Corneat Vision. It has the advantage of being synthetic and therefore of avoiding potential immunological reactions. Last January, a first Israeli patient received the synthetic cornea. As soon as the bandage was removed, the septuagenarian was able to recognize his relatives and read numbers. In total, 45 patients are participating in this study worldwide, in Canada, Holland, Israel and France, in Paris and Montpellier.
A lighter operation than a donor transplant
The operation is also simplified compared to a donor transplant. This is because the synthetic cornea requires fewer stitches and integrates more easily with the tissues of the eye as it stimulates cell proliferation. At the Montpellier University Hospital, the operation lasted almost 3 hours but the surgeons believe they can be faster for the next ones to come. According to CorNeat, the healing time would also be faster. The synthetic cornea mimics the microstructure of the extracellular matrix, this assembly of molecules binds cells and forms tissues.
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