- Re-focusing on Getting Fit? Heart Experts Offer These Tips
- AHA News: Not Just Bad Shoes and Sore Muscles – She Had Peripheral Artery Disease
- Scientists Find Clues to Why AstraZeneca’s Vaccine May Cause Clots
- Stressed, Exhausted: Frontline Workers Faced Big Mental Strain in Pandemic
- Supply of J&J COVID Vaccine to Drop 86 Percent Next Week
- Health Highlights: April 9, 2021
- Nearly Half of U.S. Veterans Cited ‘Personal Growth’ During Pandemic: Survey
- Obesity May Help Trigger Heavier Periods: Study
- Bright Side: Sunnier Areas Have Lower COVID-19 Death Rates
- Pandemic Has Put Many Clinical Trials on Hold
Cornea Research Reveals Unseen Layer
FRIDAY, June 14A previously undetected layer has been discovered in the cornea, which is the clear window at the front of the eye.
The finding could help improve results for people who undergo corneal grafts and transplants, according to the researchers at the University of Nottingham in England.
“This is a major discovery that will mean that ophthalmology textbooks will literally need to be rewritten,” Harminder Dua, a professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, said in a university news release. “Having identified this new and distinct layer deep in the tissue of the cornea, we can now exploit its presence to make operations much safer and simpler for patients.”
Dua discovered the new layer, which is described in the journal Ophthalmology. In his honor, the new layer has been called Dua’s Layer.
“From a clinical perspective, there are many diseases that affect the back of the cornea, which clinicians across the world are already beginning to relate to the presence, absence or tear in this layer,” Dua said.
The cornea is the clear protective lens on the front of the eye. It was previously believed to have five layers. The new layer, which is located near the back of the cornea, is just 15 microns thick but it is incredibly tough, according to the study.
The researchers proved the existence of the new layer by simulating corneal transplants and grafts on eyes donated for research.
More information
The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about the cornea.
Source: HealthDay
