![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Eyeball-cornea-image-by-Maria-Maximova_ZSdYDQoNY4-unsplash.jpg\")
File photo \u2013 credit: Maria Maximova<\/p>\n File photo \u2013 credit: Maria Maximova<\/p>\n
The first successful human implant of a 3D-printed cornea made from human eye cells cultured in a laboratory has restored a patient\u2019s sight.<\/p>\n
The North Carolina-based company that developed the cornea described the procedure as a \u2018world first\u2019\u2014and a major milestone toward its goal of alleviating the lack of available donor tissue and long wait-times for people seeking transplants.<\/p>\n
According to Precise Bio, its robotic bio-fabrication approach could potentially turn a single donated cornea into hundreds of lab-grown grafts, at a time when there\u2019s currently only one available for an estimated 70 patients who need one to see.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis achievement marks a turning point for regenerative ophthalmology\u2014a moment of real hope for millions living with corneal blindness,\u201d Aryeh Batt, Precise Bio\u2019s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time, a corneal implant manufactured entirely in the lab from cultured human corneal cells, rather than direct donor tissue, has been successfully implanted in a patient.\u201d<\/p>\n The company said the transplant was performed Oct. 29 in one eye of a patient who was considered legally blind.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a game changer. We\u2019ve witnessed a cornea created in the lab, from living human cells, bring sight back to a human being,\u201d said Dr. Michael Mimouni, director of the cornea unit at Rambam Medical Center in Israel, who performed the procedure.<\/p>\n JUST WOW<\/strong>: Tooth Is Implanted in 34-year-old\u2019s Eye to Restore His Vision After Two Decades<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt was an unforgettable moment\u2014a glimpse into a future where no one will have to live in darkness because of a shortage of donor tissue.\u201d<\/p>\n Dubbed PB-001, the implant is designed to match the optical clarity, transparency and bio-mechanical properties of a native cornea. Previously tested in animal models, the company said its graft is capable of integrating with a patient\u2019s own tissue.<\/p>\n The outer layer of the eye\u2014covering the iris and pupil\u2014can end up clouding a person\u2019s vision following injuries, infections, scarring and other conditions. PB-001 is currently being tested in a single-arm phase 1 trial in Israel, which aims to enroll between 10 and 15 participants with excess fluid buildups in the cornea due to dysfunction within its inner cell layers.<\/p>\n Precise Bio said it plans to announce top-line results from the study in the second half of 2026, tracking six-month efficacy outcomes.<\/p>\n SIGHT RESTORED WITH STEM CELLS<\/strong>:\u00a0Sight Restored to People Blinded in Eye Accidents Using New Stem Cell Treatment<\/a><\/p>\n The corneas are designed to be compatible with current surgery hardware and workflows. Shipped under long-term cryopreservation, it is delivered preloaded on standard delivery devices and unrolls during implantation to form a natural corneal shape.<\/p>\n \u201cPB-001 has the potential to offer a new, standardized solution to one of ophthalmology\u2019s most urgent needs\u2014reliable, safe, and effective corneal replacement,\u201d said Anthony Atala, M.D., co-founder of Precise Bio and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.<\/p>\n