AIIMS & IIT Delhi begin clinical trials of bioengineered corneas

New Delhi: In a landmark development for ophthalmology and biomedical engineering, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the IIT Delhi have jointly commenced clinical trials of bioengineered corneas. The initiative holds promise for addressing India’s acute shortage of donor corneas and restoring vision to thousands suffering from corneal blindness.

India records an estimated 1.2 million cases of corneal blindness annually, yet donor availability continues to lag far behind demand. Experts note that the country requires nearly two lakh corneal transplants each year, while only about 25,000 are performed due to the paucity of donors. The bioengineered cornea, developed through cutting-edge tissue engineering techniques, could significantly bridge this gap by offering a reliable, scalable, and biocompatible alternative to natural donor tissue.