How a Biodegradable Hydrogel is Supporting the Fight Against Corneal Blindness

Professor Greg Qiao and his team at BIENCO  are tackling corneal blindness with a biodegradable hydrogel disc, improving treatment success and accessibility for both surgeons and patients.

Corneal blindness, one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide, is often caused by disorders that scar the transparent outer layer of the eye, known as the cornea. Presently, an estimated 13 million people are waiting for corneal transplants, and with over a million new cases every year, this high demand far exceeds the available donor tissue. Unfortunately, only one donor cornea is available for every 70 patients globally.

To address this gap, Professor Greg Qiao, Dr Paul Gurr and Dr Maximilian Beach at BIENCO are working on a pioneering project to develop a biodegradable hydrogel disc called ‘HYGELIX’. This innovation can significantly improve outcomes for up to 60 per cent of current corneal transplant patients.

Dr Maximillian Beach (Left), Professor Greg Qiao (Centre), Dr Paul Gurr (Right)

The HYGELIX project is one of four ground-breaking initiatives led by BIENCO, and focuses on a type of surgery known as Endothelial Keratoplasty (EK), where only the innermost layer of the cornea, known as the endothelium, is replaced, instead of the entire cornea. While EK is an effective procedure, it poses a significant challenge due to the delicate and thin nature of the endothelial tissue, which often curls up. This makes effective handling and correct positioning very difficult, increasing the risk of damage, rejection and surgical complications.

HYGELIX is an ultra-thin hydrogel scaffold designed to attach to this delicate donor tissue, preventing it from curling and making it easier for surgeons to handle and position within the patient’s eye. Once inserted into the eye via an implant injector, the tissue graft, now reinforced with HYGELIX, spontaneously uncurls and adheres to the patient’s cornea, creating a supportive, flat layer.

Dr Paul Gurr (left), Dr Maximillian Beach (Centre back), Professor Greg Qiao (right)

HYGELIX is made from polyethylene glycol (PEG), a hydrophilic, biocompatible polymer that is nontoxic and has high-water content, which allows it to mimic the properties of soft biological tissue. These advantages help the endothelial tissue remain stable and easy to control during surgery. Since PEG is biocompatible, it also poses no risk of triggering a harmful immune response.

To enhance accessibility and consistency, eye banks will apply HYGELIX to donor tissues before they are distributed to surgeons. This ensures that corneal tissue is easier to handle for all surgeons, regardless of experience with EK procedures, and may then encourage wider adoption of the technique.

“As part of the BIENCO Consortium, our goal is to develop technology where we can grow cells on the hydrogel, enhancing donor tissue through bioengineering to produce 30 synthetic grafts from one donor tissue, expanding the impact of corneal donation. This would significantly alleviate the global shortage of donor corneas and restore vision to millions of people worldwide,” Professor Qiao said.