Serious diseases that affect the transparent part of the eye called the cornea are very difficult to treat because this structure has no blood vessels and little ability to regenerate or repair. Many patients with serious corneal conditions can only be treated with a transplant, in which the damaged cornea is removed and replaced with a healthy cornea from another person who has donated the organ.
Now, researchers from the Tissue Engineering Group of the Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, and the ibs.GRANADA Biomedical Research Institute have created highly biocompatible, resistant, and transparent corneal implants from the scales of different types of fish commonly found on the market, including carp.
While conventional transplants usually have good results, new effective regeneration methods that do not rely on organ donations on waiting lists need to be developed. ”
Miguel Alaminos, UGR Professor of Histology
A thorough analysis of fish scales demonstrated its potential usefulness for corneal repair and regeneration, with good functional results both in the laboratory and in experimental animals implanted with this material.
“These results not only provide a new product that may be useful in the treatment of corneal diseases, but also highlight the value of a natural resource derived from fishing, which is an economically very important activity in the province of Granada. Due to its origin, this product is very accessible, accessible and low-cost and could contribute to the revitalization of the fishing sector in the region, which is affected by many restrictions and restrictions,” explains Ingrid Garzón, Professor of Histology at UGR.
The study, presented this morning in the presence of Miguel Alaminos, Ingrid Garzón and Manuel Reyes, San Cecilio Clinical Hospital Manager, was developed at the Institute of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Histology, University of Granada, with funding from the Carlos III Health Institute of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Manuel Reyes was developed in the Tissue Engineering Laboratory of the Faculty of Histology, University of Granada, with funding from the Carlos III Health Institute of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (project PI23/00335).
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Reference magazines:
Garson, I. others. (2025) Generation of a new blue natural biomaterial from fish scales for use in corneal repair and engineering. Material and design. DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2025.114703. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525011232?via%3Dihub
