**Sealed Device Aims to Preserve Retinal Function for Eye Transplantation**
A research team at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, headed by Pia Cosma, has created a device named the Eye-in-a-Care-Box (ECaBox) to tackle the issue of retinal degeneration in eye transplants. The ECaBox delivers oxygenated fluid to extracted eyes through their primary arteries, which may help slow down retinal degeneration.
**Function and Testing**
The device has primarily undergone testing on pig eyes sourced from slaughterhouses, alongside a few human donor eyes. The team noted that pig eyes stored in the ECaBox exhibited significantly enhanced viability compared to those kept at room temperature or chilled. Remarkably, in some instances, pig eyes continued to respond to light for up to ten hours after death while in the ECaBox, indicating preserved retinal function.
**Human Donor Eyes**
Eyes from deceased human donors demonstrated improved retinal preservation within the ECaBox compared to those that were not perfused, although unlike the pig trials, sustained light response was not assessed.
**Implications for Eye Transplants**
This preservation strategy could signify a pioneering development in retinal preservation, though the actual restoration of vision post-transplant is not yet verified, consistent with recent clinical findings where circulation was restored without sight recovery. The relationship between the retina and the optic nerve connecting to the brain presents an ongoing hurdle for the restoration of vision.
**Future Directions**
Cosma’s team is working on developing a portable model of the ECaBox to start perfusion shortly after donor death. The device holds promise as both a research apparatus and a significant step towards successful whole-eye transplantation, although further research is necessary beyond the current abilities of the device.