Researchers in Singapore have made a Bio-functional Mhermogel to Prevent Scarring of the Retina
Researchers in Singapore have made a Bio-functional Mhermogel to Prevent Scarring of the Retina Scientists in Singapore have made a bio-functional thermogel, which is a type of synthetic polymer, to stop scarring of the retina caused by surgery that didn't work to fix a retinal detachment. Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) happens when scarring on the retina keeps the retina from healing and falling back into place. This is the cause of more than 75% of failed retinal detachment surgeries, and if it isn't fixed, it can cause vision loss or blindness. At the moment, the only way to treat PVR is through surgery, which removes these scar membranes but doesn't guarantee full vision recovery. This work shows how synthetic polymers can be used alone to change how cells behave, and for the first time, it offers a new therapy based on thermogels to prevent scarring in the retina. The team behind the development comes from A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (I...