Bascom Palmer Outlines “Moon Shot” Whole Eye Transplant Research Initiative

Thanks to a $1 million donation from a Florida philanthropist and humanitarian, the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, doctors and researchers are fast-forwarding an initiative to transplant the whole eye, Bascom Palmer detailed in an article posted on its website. 

Eduardo Alfonso, MD, director of Bascom Palmer and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Miller School, said the whole eye transplant project aims to provide blind patients with a seeing eye, perhaps by using a biological eye modified to make it functional for vision. The “bionic eye” will likely include an electronic chip, with gene therapy to prevent allograft rejection, stem cell therapy to replace degenerating eye tissue and electronic connections to the brain.

Felipe A. Medeiros, MD, PhD, vice chair of research at Bascom Palmer, described the quest for a whole eye transplant as a formidable challenge that will galvanize the collective wisdom and dedication of the Bascom Palmer team. 

Read the full article here.