Eye injection restores sight in patients facing blindness

Doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London tested a series of eye injections on patients whose eyes had become dangerously soft after illness or surgery. This condition can cause the eye to shrink and vision to fade, often with few effective treatment options.

The gel used in this treatment is hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), a substance long used in eye surgery and now applied to treat chronic low eye pressure. When injected into the eye, it adds temporary volume and support, preventing the eye from collapsing.

Its properties allow it to spread evenly inside the eye, helping support its shape and raise pressure. Over time, this support can partially restore the eye toward its previous size and reduce the risk of further damage. The material is designed to be compatible with eye tissue and is gradually absorbed, allowing doctors to repeat the injections when needed, as was done in the study.

Clear improvement

The study followed 7 patients, treating eight eyes in total. Most had been living with the condition for months or even years. After treatment, 7 of the eight eyes showed better vision, while one stayed the same. Some patients gained several lines on standard vision tests.

Eye pressure, which had been dangerously low, increased in most cases. The size of the eye also improved in many patients, suggesting the eye was returning closer to its normal shape.

Doctors followed the patients for a year after treatment began and found that the improvements were largely sustained.

Not without risks

A small number of side effects were reported. Some patients experienced short-term vision loss immediately after an injection, which was quickly treated. Others had flare ups of eye inflammation, which were managed with medication. No long-lasting harm was reported.

Doctors stress that this injection is not a cure for the underlying causes of the condition. Instead, it offers a way to protect sight when other treatments have failed and the eye is at risk of permanent damage.

The researchers describe the results as encouraging, especially given the lack of standard treatments for these patients. They say larger studies are now needed.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US found that temporarily anesthetising the retina could reverse the vision system to an early state, curing a condition known as amblyopia or “lazy eye”.