Turkish-developed eye drop shows promise against blinding corneal disease
A Turkish ophthalmologist’s experimental eye drop targeting Fuchs’ dystrophy, a corneal disease that can lead to blindness and currently has no treatment other than corneal transplantation, has shown promising results in animal studies and was awarded top scientific recognition at a major U.S. congress.
Dr. İskender Alkın Solmaz began the research project around eight years ago, initially driven by personal scientific curiosity.
Working with a small team of four researchers, he set out to develop a pharmacological treatment for Fuchs’ dystrophy, a genetic corneal disorder affecting millions worldwide.
The condition typically begins in the 40s and can lead to complete vision loss within about a decade as the endothelial layer of the cornea deteriorates, causing vision to become increasingly cloudy, similar to looking through frosted glass.
