A New VISION: Groundbreaking Collaboration Advances Whole Eye Transplants

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Feb. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking collaboration is advancing the field of whole eye transplants, with BMI OrganBank playing a key role in preserving donor eyes for groundbreaking surgical procedures. The collaboration brings together leading ophthalmology researchers, transplant surgeons, and organ preservation experts to explore the potential of whole eye transplantation. BMI OrganBank's room-temperature machine perfusion technology is being adapted to maintain donor eyes in a viable state for extended periods, enabling complex surgical procedures that were previously impossible. "This is truly visionary work," said David A. Gerber, MD, Chief Medical Officer of BMI OrganBank. "Our perfusion platform, originally developed for kidney preservation, shows remarkable promise for preserving delicate ocular tissues. The ability to maintain whole eyes in a physiologically active state opens up new possibilities for treating previously untreatable forms of blindness." The collaboration represents a significant expansion of BMI OrganBank's technology beyond kidney transplantation, demonstrating the platform's versatility across different organ and tissue types.