Lasers

What if you could fix your damaged eye without having to shoot a laser at it? Scientists have potentially discovered a novel method of repairing the cornea, similar to LASIK, that wouldn’t require a laser or other invasive surgical tool.

Researchers at Occidental College and the University of California, Irvine, created the technique, which aims to temporarily make the cornea malleable. In experiments with rabbit eyeballs, their method appeared to work while also leaving corneal cells alive. More research is needed to vet the procedure, but if all goes well, it could become a preferred alternative to LASIK, the researchers claim.

“There’s a long road between what we’ve done and the clinic. But, if we get there, this technique is widely applicable, vastly cheaper and potentially even reversible,” said lead researcher Michael Hill, a professor of chemistry at Occidental College, in a statement from the American Chemical Society.

Why some people avoid LASIK

LASIK is routinely used to treat conditions like myopia, farsightedness, or astigmatism. It reshapes the cornea—the transparent, outer layer of the eye that captures and focuses light onto the retina—using a precise cutting laser.

Though generally safe and effective, the surgery does permanently weaken the structural integrity of the cornea. People will also commonly experience side effects like dry eye and visual disturbances like halos; a small few will even develop serious, if rare, complications like chronic nerve pain. Ideally, the team’s method would avoid these risks.

A potentially safer method

The technique is called electromechanical reshaping. Some of the authors had previously used it to manipulate other parts of the body that contain collagen and water, such as ears. It works by altering the pH of the tissue via short bursts of electricity, briefly allowing it to be molded as desired. Once the proper pH is restored, the tissue returns to its original rigid state.

The researchers used the technique on rabbit eyeballs in the lab, some of which were intended to represent myopia in humans. Special contact lenses made from platinum were placed over the extracted eyes. These lenses served as an electrode, providing a base for how the cornea should be correctly reshaped.

Once the researchers lightly zapped the eye, the cornea became flexible and contoured to the shape of the lens. Not only did the cornea fill out as the researchers wanted, but the procedure didn’t seem to kill any corneal cells or otherwise affect the cornea’s stability. A YouTube video describing the team’s approach, from the American Chemical Society, can be seen below.

The team’s results, presented this week at the fall conference of the American Chemical Society, are still preliminary. The researchers admit that it will take more research in animals before they can even think about testing their method in humans. Their next planned step is to try out the procedure on living rabbits.

But the potential for the team’s work is certainly there, and it may extend beyond treating myopia. The researchers are also hoping to explore whether electromechanical reshaping can help repair farsightedness, astigmatism, and possibly even some forms of cloudy vision.

Unfortunately, as has been the case for many scientists during the second Trump administration, the researchers say their work has been delayed over concerns in securing additional funding.

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