4 ms·

Awesome. Moving. Inspiring. There are all sorts of headlines about one technology or another that seems to never get beyond the lab. How long have we been wai

Awesome. Moving. Inspiring. There are all sorts of headlines about one technology or another that seems to never get beyond the lab. How long have we been waiting for some way to regrow the tooth after a cavity? But then suddenly there is something like this. A PATIENT ACTUALLY REGAINED SIGHT after years of total blindness. That cannot be said with enough awe to do it justice. It brings new faith to those at the forefront of medicine. Anyways, for the docs in this and every other groundbreaking attempt.... Thanks! No, really, Thank you with all my heart!

joaomacp 6y ago
It's really amazing. I don't want to be the usual cynic HNer talking stuff down, because this seems really groundbreaking. However, corneal transplants are already a thing, and "Within the United States, the supply of corneas is sufficient to meet the demand for surgery and research purposes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corneal_transplantation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corneal_transplantation Of course a synthetic cornea seems like a more scalable solution, and probably reduces costs in the long term, so this is great progress.
- throwaway4220 6y ago
  I echo this sentiment. Here are the eligibility criteria: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04485858 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04485858. I am not an opthalmologist, however, it appears this is an option when a transplant fails or is not indicated due to infection. It's still excellent news! Here's a good info page on corneal blindness https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2823104/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2823104/ warning made me a bit queasy
- voiprodrigo 6y ago
  It is true that corneal transplantation is a thing since decades. However, a corneal transplant, like any transplant, has its issues. Rejections can still occur, and the healing process takes a long time, usually not less than one year, involving constant adjustments. If a cost-effective synthetic inert material addresses these issues, this is immense progress.
  - gus_massa 6y ago
    But the GGP says >>> How long have we been waiting for some way to regrow the tooth after a cavity? An artificial cornea probably solves a lot of problem with rejections, but it is somewhat like filing the cavities in the teeth with whatever paste they are using.
  - blincoln 6y ago
    I've read about people getting cataract surgery and ending up with UV sensitivity due to the material some older synthetic implants were made from, so I always assumed artificial corneas weren't uncommon.[1] I've actually kind of hoped I could get them some day. Is the difference here that previous implants weren't total replacements, or something else? [1] e.g. https://www.komar.org/faq/colorado-cataract-surgery-crystalens/ultra-violet-color-glow/ https://www.komar.org/faq/colorado-cataract-surgery-crystale...
- waihtis 6y ago
  You're not being cynical, this is exactly what one should expect in HN - combing through the deeper facts and not just the superficial information.
  - Cthulhu_ 6y ago
    One thing that honestly puts me off of some HN threads is the breathless "it's full of stars" comments where people take one press release and their minds go to some near-future utopia where everything is perfect and nothing hurts.
zelphirkalt 6y ago
Bloody marvelous!
melling 6y ago
Yeah, regrowing teeth has been in the news for decades. Treating cataracts with eye drops is one I noticed a few years ago. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/07/eye-drops-could-dissolve-cataracts https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/07/eye-drops-could-diss... I was surprised to find these start forming after age 40. It’s great when a little science fiction finally works.
tmd83 6y ago
I could never find any explanation why when root is exposed and infected you can't treat it with antibiotics and seal the cavity like normal and forced to have a root canal.

joaomacp 6y ago

It's really amazing. I don't want to be the usual cynic HNer talking stuff down, because this seems really groundbreaking. However, corneal transplants are already a thing, and "Within the United States, the supply of corneas is sufficient to meet the demand for surgery and research purposes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corneal_transplantation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corneal_transplantation Of course a synthetic cornea seems like a more scalable solution, and probably reduces costs in the long term, so this is great progress.

throwaway4220 6y ago
I echo this sentiment. Here are the eligibility criteria: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04485858 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04485858. I am not an opthalmologist, however, it appears this is an option when a transplant fails or is not indicated due to infection. It's still excellent news! Here's a good info page on corneal blindness https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2823104/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2823104/ warning made me a bit queasy
voiprodrigo 6y ago
It is true that corneal transplantation is a thing since decades. However, a corneal transplant, like any transplant, has its issues. Rejections can still occur, and the healing process takes a long time, usually not less than one year, involving constant adjustments. If a cost-effective synthetic inert material addresses these issues, this is immense progress.
- gus_massa 6y ago
  But the GGP says >>> How long have we been waiting for some way to regrow the tooth after a cavity? An artificial cornea probably solves a lot of problem with rejections, but it is somewhat like filing the cavities in the teeth with whatever paste they are using.
- blincoln 6y ago
  I've read about people getting cataract surgery and ending up with UV sensitivity due to the material some older synthetic implants were made from, so I always assumed artificial corneas weren't uncommon.[1] I've actually kind of hoped I could get them some day. Is the difference here that previous implants weren't total replacements, or something else? [1] e.g. https://www.komar.org/faq/colorado-cataract-surgery-crystalens/ultra-violet-color-glow/ https://www.komar.org/faq/colorado-cataract-surgery-crystale...
waihtis 6y ago
You're not being cynical, this is exactly what one should expect in HN - combing through the deeper facts and not just the superficial information.
- Cthulhu_ 6y ago
  One thing that honestly puts me off of some HN threads is the breathless "it's full of stars" comments where people take one press release and their minds go to some near-future utopia where everything is perfect and nothing hurts.

zelphirkalt 6y ago

Bloody marvelous!

melling 6y ago

Yeah, regrowing teeth has been in the news for decades. Treating cataracts with eye drops is one I noticed a few years ago. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/07/eye-drops-could-dissolve-cataracts https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/07/eye-drops-could-diss... I was surprised to find these start forming after age 40. It’s great when a little science fiction finally works.

tmd83 6y ago

I could never find any explanation why when root is exposed and infected you can't treat it with antibiotics and seal the cavity like normal and forced to have a root canal.