Research published in the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology suggests that a plastic membrane could be used as a treatment for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
AMD is a common condition that typically first affects people who are in their 50s and 60s. Although the indication doesn’t cause total blindness, it affects the middle part of your vision and can make everyday tasks difficult.
Bruch’s membrane is the innermost layer of the choroid, and researchers from the PSG College of Technology, in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India, have designed a prosthetic Bruch’s membrane, based on porous PolyCaproLactone (PCL).
The researchers concluded: “The results show that the scaffold with higher porosity has a lower pressure gradient which is necessary for retinal pigment epithelial adherence and is mechanically stable. This proves that a PCL scaffold with higher porosity is a potential replacement for Bruch’s membrane.”