NYU Langone Health and NYU Grossman School of Medicine spearhead a groundbreaking effort to perfect vision-restoring whole-eye transplants. This ambitious initiative unites over 40 scientists, physicians, and industry experts. In 2023, NYU Langone successfully performed the world’s first whole- eye and partial-face transplant . While the transplanted eye did not regain vision, some light-sensitive nerve cells survived, marking a significant milestone in this field.
The team has now secured a research grant to advance their efforts in refining whole-eye transplantation. Building on their previous experience, the project focuses on improving surgical protocols, molecularly profiling transplanted eyes to understand their survival mechanisms, and identifying biomarkers for rejection. The team is also exploring ways to regenerate donor optic nerves and integrate them into recipients’ brains.…
