Study Shows Vision Restored with Biosynthetic Corneas

A two-year clinical study by biotech company FibroGen, located in San Francisco, California, shows surgical implantation of biosynthetic corneas can restore vision and promote nerve regeneration in patients who had corneal damage and significant vision loss. The findings are published in the 25 August issue of Science Translational Medicine.

The biosynthetic corneas were made of recombinant human type III collagen (rhCIII) developed by FibroGen. In the phase 1 clinical study, 10 patients with corneal disease received implanted rhCIII-based biosynthetic corneas. After two years, all of the transplanted corneas remain viable, cells from the patients’ own corneas had grown into the implant, and nerves that had been severed during surgery regrew. The blink reflex and tear film were restored as well.

Also after two years, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity improved in six patients, remained unchanged in two patients and decreased in two. None of the patients experienced any rejection reaction or required long-term immunosuppressive therapy, which is a serious issue with the use of donated human organs.

Corneal damage and disease are major causes of blindness worldwide. In countries that have tissue banking, such as the U.S., treatment is by implantation of human donor corneas. However, there is a severe shortage of human donor tissue worldwide. Corneal prostheses, made from synthetic plastics are used in limited cases, and are not designed to replace donor tissues or promote tissue regeneration.

Photo: Kyle May/Flickr