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WASHINGTON, March 21 (BelTA – Xinhua) – US scientists have developed an adhesive gel that can seal wounds and ulcers on the surface of the eye, thus avoiding surgical procedures.
The study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances showed that the gel loaded with chemicals activated by light can not only fill the defect, but also regenerate.
"We wanted this material to allow the corneal cells to bond to the adhesive and regenerate over time to mimic something as close to the cornea as possible," said the researcher. Co-Corresponding Author of the Journal, Reza Dana, Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.
The gel is clear and viscous in a dropper or syringe, but when it is exposed to blue light in a short time, it hardens to take the features of a native cornea and the cells of the cornea grow gradually to do only one with the gel, according to the at the study.
The gel is the first to use visible blue light as opposed to ultraviolet light, which has a level of toxicity.
In a preclinical study, the researchers administered the gel at a concentration of 20% to corneal defects of 3 mm and applied visible light for four minutes, which allowed a firm adhesion to the defect.
One day later, they observed a transparent and smooth eye surface without inflammation. Over time, the tissue has regenerated and the new tissue has shown little difference with the native tissue, according to the study.
The researchers had to start clinical trials to test the technology in human patients in about a year.
Corneal lesions are a common cause of visual impairment worldwide, with more than 1.5 million new cases of corneal blindness reported each year. Some of them require corneal transplants involving risks of post-transplant complications such as infection or rejection.
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