1. Biomaterials pulsed with blue light can reshape thinning corneas
Light-activated injectable biomaterials able to change the shape of and thicken a diseased or damaged cornea could herald a plausible alternative to corneal transplantation in the treatment of corneal-thinning disorders.
Corneal diseases are among the most common causes of blindness.
The injectable materials – a mixture of biopolymers and custom-made peptides that assemble into a hydrogel when pulsed with low-energy blue light – were able to change the cornea shape and thicken it to varying degrees in an ex vivo pig cornea model. Intracorneal injection of these materials in rats showed the top two materials, G44 and G50, caused no significant inflammation or neovascularisation and remained stable in vivo for six weeks.
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The College of Optometrists and The Association of Optometrists (AOP) warn the current self-declaration system puts more lives at risk of death or injury.
The College of Optometrists' public consultation on the next edition of its Guidance for Professional Practice is open for feedback until Monday 3 August 2026.