SOME 60 per cent of people aged 60 and over experience changes in the natural gel within the eye, which puts them at high risk of becoming one of the 10,000 Australians who suffer retinal detachments every year.
Now a new synthetic gel developed by a group of Japanese researchers, and tested by scientists at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, may help pave the way for new less-invasive eye surgery techniques to treat the condition.
The retina is the curved, back layer of the eye that is covered in light-sensitive cells. It is supported on the inside by a jelly-like substance called vitreous, which fills the eyeball behind the lens and keeps the eyeball firm.
The retina sends signals down the optic nerve to the brain, allowing people to see.
Retinal detachments are usually caused by small tears in the retina that allow fluid inside the eye to seep through and separate the retina from the tissue underneath.
The most common cause of retinal tears is shrinking of the vitreous, which can pull the retina away from the back of the eye.
If left untreated, retinal detachment can permanently affect vision or lead to blindness. It requires immediate attention to reattach the retina to the back of the eye.
An ageing population means the number of cases is likely to rise.
The researchers from the Universities of Tokyo, Tsukuba and Osaka, have developed a hydrogel, which is delivered as a liquid and turns jelly-like in minutes of being injected into the eye, replacing the clear gelatinous fluid.
While not yet tested in humans, hydrogels could provide new, less-invasive emergency treatment of retinal detachment.
Hydrogels are made up of similar substances to soft tissues in the body, and mainly consist of water, as opposed to the gas or silicon oil generally used as a substitute for the vitreous humour and which are not suitable for long-term use.
The hydrogels' properties may also make them suitable for broader applications, such as a space-filling gel to replace soft tissues damaged by trauma, tumours and degenerative diseases.
