Developing a system to assess the viability of the resuscitated eye

The aim of the highly ambitious ECaBox project is to develop a platform for the resuscitation of the human cadaveric eye while ensuring eye function and structure ex vivo for an unprecedented time period. If successful, the developed care box can serve as a platform for the investigation of various therapeutic approaches for retinal degenerative diseases in a human eye. This exploration is currently performed either in animal models, where most aspects of these therapies are hindered by the differences in retinal anatomy and physiology, or in retinal cultures where viability is limited to a maximum of 7 days.

Being able to validate the preserved functionality of the eye following the resuscitation in the care box is the main goal of ECaBox partners at Bar Ilan University.

During this first year of the project, the research team at Bar Ilan has indeed been busy with the assembly of a system that will enable monitoring the viability of the retina. This task is of critical importance for the successful implementation of the project and we look forward to test it within the ECaBox setting!