First eye patient receives synthetic cornea

‘With my research, I am pushing for these types of implants to become regenerative. That means they will also contain cells and thus actually repair the cornea. The current synthetic implant can be a prelude to that, because this kind of material can also be the carrier of those cells,’ said UMC Utrecht professor of ophthalmology Mor Dickman, who recently performed the transplant with the synthetic cornea.

Major shortage of donor corneas

About 2,000 cornea transplants take place in the Netherlands every year, making it the most frequently performed transplant. Many of the recipients of such a transplant are elderly people, but younger patients and children also sometimes receive a cornea. Unfortunately, there is a huge shortage of donor corneas: there is about 1 donor for every 70 patients.

Corneal transplantation at UMC Utrecht.

An alternative graft

Because of the donor shortage, there is a great drive to find alternatives. It is the personal motivation of Professor of Ophthalmology Mor Dickman, who is now placing a synthetic corneal transplant in Utrecht for the first time. ‘This implant is made of a kind of contact lens material,’ he explains. ‘In this case, it replaces the inner part of the cornea.’

In the Netherlands, this technique is particularly interesting for patients with a high risk of rejection or graft failure. Mor: ‘These include patients with multiple previous transplants, a history of rejection, or after glaucoma surgery where small tubes are placed in the eye. There are also patients who do not want to receive donor tissue for cultural or religious reasons, and then this can be an alternative.’

Towards regenerative treatment

The synthetic implant was developed by a company, Eye-Yon. ‘Currently, we only apply this technique to the most complex cases,’ says Mor. ‘With further refinement and development, this technique could be a solution for a wider patient group in the future.’ An additional advantage is that a synthetic implant presents much less logistical challenges than a donated cornea.

In the further future, Mor sees other developments ahead. ‘With my research, I am pushing for these kinds of implants to become regenerative. That means they will also contain cells and thus actually repair the cornea. The current synthetic implant can be a prelude to that, because this kind of material can also be the carrier of those cells.’