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Iranian scientists have made synthetic cornea to restore vision to patients suffering from severe corneal disorders and damaged eye stem cells.

The implantation of the newly developed synthetic cornea reduces the risk of immune response in patients, Iranian ophthalmologist Mahmoud Jabbarvand said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the opening of the 17th Farabi Annual Seminar.

Therefore, synthetic cornea is a better option for patients, whose bodies are more likely to reject cadaver corneas and have to take immunosuppressant drugs for a long time to prevent the condition, he was quoted by IRNA as saying.

Jabbarvand added that the new synthetic cornea has fewer side effects and that there is no risk of infection so patients do not have to take antibiotics after the operation.

The Iranian-developed artificial cornea, also called LAC, has also been successfully implanted in five patients with severe cornea cloudiness after its safety was confirmed following tests on animals.

During the procedure, doctors remove the cloudy layer of the cornea and replace it with LAC and there is no need to remove the whole cornea or make an intraocular operation, Jabbarvand said.

The cornea is a five-layer transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber, refracting light. It accounts for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power.

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