Eyes: Existing or Potential Regenerative Medicine Strategies

There is a long history of the reconstruction of the functions of the eye with biomaterials, especially in the outer part of the eye, in which various materials like contact lenses and intraocular lenses have been used. Exploration of possible use of biomaterials in the eye began after the discovery of Plexiglas windshield found in the cornea of a pilot in World War II and that too without major side effects. Since then, a number of synthetic materials that can be used as biomaterials for the eye have been studied. Though many biomaterials have been used in the eye, the development of a synthetic cornea replacement has seen little success. Meanwhile, the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine has developed as a major force ...