Current Ocular Tissue Research Needs
Whole eyes, posterior poles and retinas
There is growing need for tissue from the posterior pole or the back of the eye where common blinding diseases inflict their greatest damage. Researchers need donated eyes to investigate causes of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Scientists also need normal tissue to use as controls in studies aimed at uncovering the mechanical, biochemical, or genetic differences between diseased and normal eyes.
Often young eye donors are treated as cornea-only donors. But it is the posterior poles from which researchers can learn the most about many of the major eye diseases that cause blindness with aging. Most cornea donors that are rejected due to various diseases can also still support important eye research.
In addition researchers are working to address cataracts and other lens diseases that are the leading causes of blindness in the world. Researchers have discovered possible molecular or cellular triggers for cataracts but need donated human lenses to confirm their role in cataract formation and to test ways to prevent them from causing cataracts. Investigators also need human lenses to study ways to prevent or delay the development of presbyopia, a lens malfunctioning that forces most people to need reading glasses by midlife.
NDRI will place normal and diseased eye tissue with researchers as described below:
Normal eyes: Researchers need normal eyes to serve as controls for their studies aimed at uncovering the causes of various eye diseases. But the demand for normal eyes is frequently not met because normal whole eyes from donors, especially young donors, are in short supply.
Recovery guidelines for donors with normal eyes
Diabetes: People with diabetes are more likely than others to develop a number of blinding eye disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. Researchers need eyes donated from people with diabetes to explore how exactly diabetes affects the eyes..
Recovery guidelines for donors with diabetes
Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a progressive loss of peripheral vision due to the abnormal buildup of pressure in the eye. Researchers need eyes donated from people with glaucoma to better understand what causes this abnormal pressure buildup and what can be done to prevent it.
Recovery guidelines for donors with glaucoma
Macular degeneration: Macular degeneration causes blurriness and eventually a complete loss of central vision due to the gradual deterioration of cells in the retina. It is a common cause of blindness in the elderly.
Recovery guidelines for donors with macular degeneration
Cataracts: The clouded or tinted vision that cataracts cause stems from a deterioration in the lens of the eye or the membrane that covers it. Although there are good treatments for cataracts, researchers are trying to uncover ways to prevent cataracts from developing.
NDRI usually cannot place eyes removed from a donor with an infectious disease, such as hepatitis. All eye donations should include optic nerve segments at least 5 mm long.