Article

Defect technology: a new horizon in endothelium transplantation

Gene defect technology can be used to prevent corneal allograft rejection and the decay of endothelial cells in ex vivo corneal transplantation.

Gene defect technology can be used to prevent corneal allograft rejection and the decay of endothelial cells in ex vivo corneal transplantation, according to Dr Frank Larkin of Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, UK, presenting at the "Endothelium: new surgical and medical concepts" symposium.

Dr Larkin set out to evaluate the use of defect approaches in corneal endothelial function, and how this can aid successful cornea transplantation. After the success of a recent study in which he used this technology to carry out corneal endothelial transplantation in a donor rabbit eye, Larkin believes this approach is now "on the horizon and not over the horizon."

As a result of his studies, Dr Larkin found that using gene defect technology to create genetically engineered endothelium may help to prevent corneal allograft rejection and the decay of cells in ex vivo corneal endothelium transfer. "This is evidence that this kind of approach is biologically effective," he said.

Larkin points out that further research needs to be done to determine the longer term outcomes of this approach, "because if we want to use this in humans, it is very important that we establish the safety aspects and tolerability of this technology."

For Larkin, the future of defect technology is "on the horizon, not over it," with far-reaching possibilities for the future. "I'm quite sure that somewhere down the track this type of technology will be used in combination approaches, possibly combining cell replication with immunoprotection," he suggested, "and the earliest application will probably be in eye banking."

Newsletter

Don’t miss out—get Ophthalmology Times updates on the latest clinical advancements and expert interviews, straight to your inbox.

Related Videos
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) ASCRS 2025: Mark Lobanoff, MD, on making the move to office-based surgery
Barsha Lal, PhD, discusses the way low dose atropine affects accommodative amplitude and dynamics at the 2025 ARVO meeting
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) NeuroOp Guru: When eye findings should prompt neuroimaging in suspected neuro-Behcet disease
At the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting, Katherine Talcott, MD, a retina specialist at Cleveland Clinic, shared her findings on EYP-1901 (EyePoint Pharmaceuticals) in the phase 2 DAVIO study.
Dr. Jogin Desai, founder of Eyestem Research, discusses his research at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) ASCRS 2025: Michael Rivers, MD, shares his takeaways as a panelist at the inaugural SightLine event
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) ASCRS 2025: Karl Stonecipher, MD, on LASIK outcomes using an aspheric excimer laser for high myopia
John Tan talks about an emergency triage framework for retinal artery occlusion at the 2025 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting.
Dr Robert Maloney at the 2025 Controversies in Modern Eye Care meeting
Wendy Lee, MD, MS, at Controversies in Modern Eye Care 2025.
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.