It is taboo to devour seaweed soup earlier than exams in Korea since it may well result in failing the examination. The idea is rooted in the concept that the slippery nature of seaweed might trigger folks to slide and falter through the check. The slick floor of seaweeds equivalent to seaweed and kelp is attributed to alginate, a mucilaginous substance. Notably, an intriguing research exploring using alginate for the therapy of retinal detachment has been lately revealed.
A collaborative effort between Professor Hyung Joon Cha from the Division of Chemical Engineering and the Faculty of Convergence Science and Expertise and Dr. Geunho Choi from the Division of Chemical Engineering at Pohang College of Science and Expertise (POSTECH), and Professor Woo Jin Jeong, Professor Woo Chan Park, and Professor Seoung Hyun An from the Dong-A College Hospital’s Division of Ophthalmology has resulted within the creation of a man-made vitreous physique for treating retinal detachment. This answer relies on a pure carbohydrate derived from algae. The analysis findings had been lately revealed in Biomaterials, a global journal of biomaterials revealed by Elsevier.
The vitreous physique is a gel-like substance that occupies the house between the lens and retina, contributing to the attention’s structural integrity. Retinal detachment happens when the retina separates from the interior wall of the attention and strikes into the vitreous cavity, resulting in detachment and probably leading to blindness in extreme instances. Whereas a typical strategy includes eradicating the vitreous physique and substituting it with medical intraocular fillers like expandable gasoline or silicone oil, these fillers have been related to varied negative effects.
To handle these considerations, the analysis workforce employed a modified type of alginate, a pure carbohydrate sourced from algae. Alginate, also referred to as alginic acid, is extensively utilized in varied industries, together with meals and drugs, for its capacity to create viscous merchandise. On this analysis, the workforce crafted a medical composite hydrogel based mostly on alginate, providing a possible different for vitreous alternative.
The hydrogel, possessing excessive biocompatibility and optical properties akin to genuine vitreous physique, allows sufferers to protect their imaginative and prescient post-surgery. Its distinctive viscoelasticity successfully regulates fluid dynamics throughout the eye, contributing to retinal stabilization and the elimination of air bubbles.
To validate the hydrogel’s stability and effectiveness, the workforce carried out experiments utilizing animal fashions, particularly rabbit eyes, which carefully resemble human eyes in construction, dimension, and physiological response. Implanting the hydrogel into rabbit eyes demonstrated its success in stopping the recurrence of retinal detachment, sustaining stability, and functioning effectively over an prolonged interval with none adversarial results.
Professor Hyung Joon Cha of the POSTECH who led the research remarked, “There’s a correlation between retinal detachment and extreme myopia and the prevalence of retinal detachment is rising, significantly in younger folks. The incidence of retinal detachment instances in Korea rose by 50% in 2022 in comparison with 2017.” He expressed the workforce’s dedication by saying, “Our workforce will improve and progress the know-how to make the hydrogel appropriate for sensible use in real-world eye care by ongoing analysis.”
Professor Woo Jin Jeong from the Dong-A College Hospital said, “The worldwide marketplace for intraocular fillers is increasing at a price of three% per yr.” He added, “We anticipate that the hydrogel we have created will show helpful in upcoming vitreoretinal surgical procedures.”
The analysis was sponsored by the Korea Medical System Improvement Fund and the Mid-Profession Analysis Program of the Nationwide Analysis Basis of Korea.
