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The Raelian Movement
for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org
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Artificial corneas restore sight for the first time
Artificial corneas grown in the laboratory have been transplanted into patient's eyes for the first time in an operation that offers hope to millions of partially sighted people.
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7964264/Artificial-corneas-restore-sight-for-the-first-time.html
Published: 6:00PM BST 25 Aug 2010
Scientists hope the breakthrough will also slash the cornea transplant waiting list which every year falls short by more than 500 in Britain alone.
The new technique involves growing human tissue or collagen in the laboratory and then shaping it using a contact lens mould.
Damaged and scarred tissue from the front of the eye is then removed and the "biosynthetic" replacement is stitched in its place.
Eventually existing cells and nerves in the eye grow over the artificial cornea incorporating it fully into the eye.
The first trials of the operation have shown that it is just as successful as live tissue transplantation and in some cases patients have had their sight fully restored.
Dr May Griffiths, of Linköping University, in Sweden, said: "We were very excited by the results.
"This study is the first to show an artificially fabricated cornea can integrate with the human eye and stimulate regeneration.
"With further research, this approach could help restore sight to millions of people who are waiting for a donated human cornea for transplantation.
"There is a shortage of donors and this could solve that problem. It can also be done at a fraction of the cost."
The cornea is a vulnerable shield or lens protecting the eye and plays a key role in creating vision.
It consists of three main layers – the endothelium, stroma and epithelium.
But many are damaged by scarring or disease causing blurring and even complete vision loss very much like a lens of a camera being scratched.
A clinical trial of 10 patients with damaged corneas whose damaged tissue was operated on and replaced with the artificial cornea, found vision improved in six of them.
After contact lens fitting their sight was comparable to conventional corneal transplantation with human donor tissue, according to the findings published in Science Translational Medicine.
Humans are currently the only source of corneas for transplantation, and the supply of donor tissue is limited.
In addition, the artificial corneas may actually work better than human versions because they avoid the chance of infection or rejection.
Patients did not experience any rejection reaction or require long-term immune suppression, which are serious side effects associated with the use of human donor tissue.
The biosynthetic corneas also became sensitive to touch and began producing normal tears to keep the eye oxygenated.
Globally, diseases that lead to clouding of the cornea affect more than 10 million people worldwide making them the most common cause of blindness.
More than a decade ago, Dr Griffith and her colleagues began developing biosynthetic corneas using collagen produced in the laboratory and moulded into the shape of a cornea.
After extensive laboratory testing Dr Griffith began collaborating with eye surgeon Dr Per Fagerholm, also at Linköping University, to provide the first human experience with biosynthetic cornea implantation.
Dr Fagerholm, said: "We are very encouraged by these results and by the great potential of biosynthetic corneas.
"Further biomaterial enhancements and modifications to the surgical technique are ongoing, and new studies are being planned that will extend the use of the biosynthetic cornea to a wider range of sight-threatening conditions requiring transplantation."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WARNING FROM RAEL: For those who don't use their intelligence at its full
capacity, the label "selected by RAEL" on some articles does not mean that I
agree with their content or support it. "Selected by RAEL" means that I believe
it is important for the people of this planet to know about what people think or
do, even when what they think or do is completely stupid and against our
philosophy. When I selected articles in the past about stupid Christian
fundamentalists in America praying for rain, I am sure no Rael-Science reader
was stupid enough to believe that I was supporting praying to change the
weather. So, when I select articles which are in favor of drugs, anti-semitic,
anti-Jewish, racist, revisionist, or inciting hatred against any group or
religion, or any other stupid article, it does not mean that I support them. It
just means that it is important for all human beings to know about them. Common
sense, which is usually very good among our readers, is good enough to
understand that. When, like in the recent articles on drug decriminalization, it
is necessary to make it clearer, I add a comment, which in this case was very
clear: I support decriminalizing all drugs, as it is stupid to throw depressed
and sad people (as only depressed and sad people use drugs) in prison and ruin
their life with a criminal record. That does not mean that there is any change
to the Message which says clearly that we must not use any drug except for
medical purposes. The same applies to the freedom of expression which must be
absolute. That does not mean again of course that I agree with anti-Jews,
antisemites, racists of any kind or anti-Raelians. But by knowing your enemies
or the enemies of your values, you are better equipped to fight them. With love
and respect of course, and with the wonderful sentence of the French philosopher
Voltaire in mind: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death
your right to say it".
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"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.
There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history,
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.
On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.
Rael
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