O P H T H A L M O G E N E S I S
It is conceivable that the eye, complex as it may be, will one day be cultured from embryonic stem cells, which are capable of differentiating into different lines of cells. The process of engineering this transition is a mammoth task for the eye is a delicate organ. Nutrient growth factors and biochemical building blocks are the elements that must be introduced in the engineering.
Scientists throughout the world have embarked on producing artificial scaffoldings for corneal transplants, and rudimentary opto-bionic retinal devices. Insertion of artificial lens to replace the cataractous lenses removed during surgery are the norm.
These are intermediary steps in the eventual production of conjunctival, corenal, and retinal cells for transplanation, and ultimately, to the laboratory in-vitro cultivation of a viable whole eye.
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