Seeing Clearly with Cell Therapy
The 21st century has brought with it significant challenges, and here in South Australia, as our population continues to age, there are specific health areas which will need to be considered. The Mawson Institute aims to address these difficulties through novel manufactured materials and novel applications of materials.
The cornea, the eyes window on the world, plays a vital role in ocular function by allowing passage of light through a transparent surface. Maintenance of corneal clarity and vision is dependent upon the integrity of the corneal surface which, when damaged through injury or disease, can lead to blindness. Plasma polymer coatings are films produced from organic compounds which can be used to provide surfaces for specific types of cells. By applying this technology to coat contact lenses we have the potential to restore vision by transplanting a new corneal surface grown in the laboratory from the patients own cells. The coating technology was first developed by Professor Short et al for resurfacing skin after trauma such as burns or scalds and subsequently used in the treatment of chronic wounds. Now, in an international collaboration involving the Mawson Institute, this technology is being developed for use in a number of eye conditions such as ocular trauma and age related macular degeneration, a disorder of the retina, which is the single largest cause of blindness in people aged over 65.