A US military veteran who received the world’s first whole-eye transplant has made significant progress a year later and has been able to resume his normal life, researchers say.
Aaron James, 46, also received a rare partial-face transplant. He lost most of his face in an accident in 2021 while working as a high-voltage utility lineman.
His donor eye has so far maintained normal pressure and blood flow and retained its size, unlike donor eyes in animals that often shrink after transplants, researchers at NYU Langone Health said in a new study.
Mr James has not regained sight in that eye, but researchers are hopeful he might eventually be able to see out of it again.
They said they were “truly amazed” by Mr James’s recovery.
“The outcomes we’re seeing after this procedure are quite incredible and could pave the way for new clinical protocols and inspire further research into complex transplants involving critical sensory organs,” said Dr Vaidehi Dedania, Mr James’ ophthalmologist.
The study authors said a test called electroretinography – which measures the retina’s electrical response to light – showed that the donor eye’s rods and cones, the light-sensitive nerve cells in the eye, survived the transplant.
“This electrical response converts light into signals that ultimately the brain could interpret for vision, giving hope for the future of whole-eye transplants with an aim to restore sight,” researchers said.
