Eyecare professionals will need to revisit their understanding of the human eye, as scientists at the University of Nottingham recently discovered a new layer in the cornea.
Dua's Layer, named after the academic who discovered it, Professor Harminder Dua, is located at the back of the cornea, between the corneal stroma and Descemet's membrane. Although it is just 15 microns thick, it is incredibly tough and is strong enough to be able to withstand one and a half to two bars of pressure. This discovery could help patients undergoing corneal grafts and transplants.
This is a major discovery that will mean that ophthalmology textbooks will literally need to be rewritten, said professor Dua. Having identified this new and distinct layer deep in the tissue of the cornea, we can now exploit its presence to make operations much safer and simpler for patients. From a clinical perspective, there are many diseases that affect the back of the cornea which clinicians across the world are already beginning to relate to the presence, absence or tear in this layer.
http://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(13)00020-1/abstract
