Fish scales could be the answer to cornea donor shortage, Spanish scientists find
Researchers at the University of Granada have developed corneal implants from fish scales with promising results in the laboratory and in animals. The finding opens a way to reduce dependence on transplants.
Scientists have found a new source for corneal implants: the fish scales that markets throw away every day.
Researchers at Spain's University of Granada's Department of Histology have spent years studying this overlooked waste material, and their findings could offer hope to thousands of patients languishing on transplant waiting lists.
By analysing the scales of carp and other commonly eaten fish, the team has developed a biocompatible, durable and transparent implant capable of repairing damaged corneas.
The cornea, the clear layer at the front of the eye, is difficult to treat when seriously diseased. It heals poorly and has no direct blood supply, leaving doctors with few options beyond a full transplant. But donor tissue is scarce, and demand far outstrips supply.
"It is necessary to develop new effective methods of regeneration that do not depend on organ donation," said Miguel Alaminos, professor of Histology at the University of Granada and one of the study's lead authors.
The study, published in the journal 'Materials & Design', describes how an exhaustive analysis of the flakes enabled the development of a biomaterial with properties suitable for corneal repair. Tests carried out both in laboratory conditions and on experimental animals have yielded good functional results.
Low cost and a fishery sector that could benefit
Beyond clinical interest, the researchers highlight a practical advantage: the material's origin makes it inexpensive and readily available. Fish scales are a by-product of the fishing industry that, in many cases, is simply discarded. Turning it into a raw material for medical implants opens up a potential use that could have economic consequences in the province.
"This product is very accessible, easy to obtain and inexpensive, and could contribute to boosting the fishing sector in an area that is being affected by numerous restrictions and conditioning factors," explains Ingrid Garzón, professor of Histology at the UGR and researcher at the ibs.GRANADA Biosanitary Research Institute.
The research has been funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, within the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, through the project PI23/00335. The work was presented in the presence of the manager of the Hospital Clínico San Cecilio de Granada, Manuel Reyes, who reflects the interest of the clinical environment in the development of this line of research.
The road ahead
The current results are preliminary but sufficiently solid to justify continuing. The laboratory phase and animal tests have passed the first filters, but before this type of implant reaches the operating theatre, it is necessary to complete clinical trials in humans, a process that usually takes years and requires strict regulation.
What the Granada team (source in Spanish) has achieved so far is to demonstrate that the material works on a biological and structural level.
That carp scales can be converted into a viable cornea is not yet a clinical reality, but it is a hypothesis backed by data. In a field where donor shortage remains a problem with no easy solution, that's quite a lot.
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