
Biophysicists at the University of South Florida have developed a design for artificial corneas using tiny collagen fibres extracted from sea cucumbers, which may prove a boon to people whose corneas have damaged.
Creating such a design for corneas as is optically clear in the middle and biocompatible at the edges has been a challenge for scientists.
Advertisement
Garret Matthews, a biophysicist behind the latest work, says that the new design for artificial corneas is an answer for these challenges, reports New Scientist magazine.
Sea cucumbers are sausage-shaped echinoderms, most species of which live on the sea floor in a variety of marine environments around of the globe.
For making the artificial cornea, the researchers extracted tiny collagen fibres from sea cucumbers. Upon being placed in a centrifuge, the fibres self assemble into layers in which the fibres are aligned vertically, a structure that is very similar to the tissue in mammalian corneas.
The process led to the creation of a thin layer of material that is transparent and biocompatible, as well as cheap and easy to make, say the researchers.
Source: ANI
SRM/C
Advertisement
For making the artificial cornea, the researchers extracted tiny collagen fibres from sea cucumbers. Upon being placed in a centrifuge, the fibres self assemble into layers in which the fibres are aligned vertically, a structure that is very similar to the tissue in mammalian corneas.
The process led to the creation of a thin layer of material that is transparent and biocompatible, as well as cheap and easy to make, say the researchers.
Source: ANI
SRM/C
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest General Health News

Seeking internet help for an incomplete antibiotic course resulted in kidney stone formation and urinary tract infection in a young woman.

The Brain Care Score is a tool to evaluate brain health and reduce the risk of brain disorders including dementia and stroke.

Swine influenza A viruses, including subtypes H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2, are prominent among pigs and sporadically transmit to humans.

The microorganism "is a newly identified potential disease-causing agent, possibly originating from or evolving within the dog's microbiome."

Flavanol naturally present in red wine can compromise the proper metabolism of alcohol and lead to a headache.