Spanish researchers develop low-cost artificial cornea from fish scales

Researchers at Spain’s University of Granada have developed an artificial cornea made from the scales of several fish ​species commonly found in markets, which could become a ‌lower-cost alternative to donor transplants for severe eye diseases.

The cornea – the eye’s transparent front layer – is difficult to repair when badly damaged because it ​has no blood vessels and limited regenerative capacity. Severe ​corneal disease is often treated with donor transplants, which ⁠can be constrained by organ availability and waiting lists.