A corneal implant made from pigs’ skin has restored functional vision in 20 people with damaged corneas, most of whom were visually impaired before treatment.

The bioengineered implant, which uses collagen protein taken from the skin, could bring hope to those suffering from poor vision due to corneal damage or disease. It is envisaged as an alternative to transplanted human corneas from donors, which are scarce in countries where the need for them is greatest. The study was led by researchers at Linköping University and LinkoCare Life Sciences AB and was published in Nature Biotechnology.