An artificial cornea that promises easy integration with a patient's native cornea, and avoids cellular hyperplasia on its plastic surface has been developed by German researchers at Fraunhofer Institute. The specialty about the cornea is that it is based on polymer which absorbs no water and allows no cells to grow on it. A special protein is applied which helps the natural cell to latch on to. These proteins can survive the later thermal sterilization of the artificial cornea without being damaged, as it does not have the three-dimensional structure typical of large proteins. The first implants have already been tested in rabbits' eyes - with promising results.

If further tests are successful, the technology will be tried on humans in 2008.
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