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Gel-like material in development for treatment of presbyopia
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NEW YORK — Scientists are developing a hydrophobically modified hydrogel for the treatment of presbyopia, according to a press release from the American Chemical Society.
Hydrogel “can be made soft to the touch and have viscoelastic properties similar to that of the natural human lens,” according to Madalene Fetsch, one of the researchers at the VA Hospital and Washington University in St. Louis working on the gel. Ms. Fetsch noted that this material, however, can be manipulated so it can be injected, creating a much less invasive procedure.
One significant difference, she says, is reversible disulfide bonds. “This means that after forming the gel, we can reduce the bonds, liquefying the gel again so that it can be injected into the lens capsular bag,” she said in the release. The material reforms to a gel under natural physiological conditions, according to the press release.
Researchers hope to begin animal studies within a year.