RESEARCHERS at the University of Bradford say they are close to perfecting a new technique which could restore sight to people who have been blinded due to injuries to their cornea.

While corneal transplants from donors have been possible for some time, the new technique would effectively enable the body to 'grow' a new cornea.

Dr Farshid Sefat, from the Faculty of Engineering & Informatics, said the technique involved using a biopolymer to create a "scaffold" for regenerative stem cells.

He explained: "The cornea is the outermost part of the eye, so whenever you touch your eye, you are touching the cornea. When this is damaged, it can sometimes lead to blindness.

"It is already possible to transplant corneas from donors, and it is also possible to use artificial materials. However, when we use an artificial material, such as a polymer, most researchers work with just one layer - when you try to work with more than one layer, it becomes very complicated.

"However, the human cornea is actually made up of five layers. We have developed a new 'recipe' that will enable us to create multiple layers, using something called a biopolymer - which then acts as a scaffold for stem cells to create a new cornea."

The stem cells in question reside in a special 'niche' inside the eye, and are normally inactive - only becoming active when the eye is damaged and needs to be repaired. Biopolymers are materials which are acceptable to the human body without any rejection.

The new system would create multiple layers, closely mimicking the eye's natural design - the whole cornea would be around 500 microns thick (one micron is equal to one-thousandth of a millimetre).

Dr Sefat added: "Corneal blindness affects 4.9 million people worldwide, which results in the need for surgery and replacement, leading to a long treatment time of between three and five years.

"What we are researching at Bradford is a technique that may cure blindness caused by damage to the cornea and not blindness caused by damage to the retina or optic nerve, which is much more complex."

Dr Sefat, who has been researching artificial corneas for the last 12 years - first in Sheffield and then New York, before moving to work in Bradford five years ago - said the new technique would ultimately lead to better outcomes for patients.

It is being developed at the University of Bradford's Polymer Interdisciplinary Research Centre, one of the largest research centres of its kind in Europe.

Dr Sefat, who also conducts research into breast cancer and blood vessel repair, added: "Additionally, in terms of prospective students who might be considering studying bioengineering, this is just one of many areas of study - we also do research into breast cancer, blood vessels, brain tumour and skin."