Breakthrough in Eye Preservation: ECaBox Device Shows Promise for Human Eye Research and Transplants

A device known as the ECaBox has successfully preserved human retinas, marking a potential shift in eye research and transplantation practices.

How the ECaBox Works and What It Achieved

The ECaBox was tested on 12 eyes from six people who had died. In each case, one of each pair of eyes was put in the device, while the other was not. The perfused eyes did better—and their retinas were preserved. Cosma and her colleagues hope that their device could offer scientists a new way to study eye treatments—one that doesn’t involve experimenting on living animals.

The team also aims to adapt the ECaBox for use in whole-eye transplants, a procedure that has had limited success, mostly in research animals. In May 2023, a team at NYU Langone transplanted an eye along with part of a face to a man who had survived a high-voltage electrical accident that resulted in the loss of much of the left side of his face, including his left eye, two years earlier. Although the man recovered well, he wasn’t able to see out of the transplanted eye.

Why This Matters for Medical Research and Transplants

Whole-eye transplants have been attempted in the past, mostly in research animals, with limited success. The ECaBox’s potential to maintain and revive donated human eyes could address a critical barrier. “We won’t know whether eyes treated in the ECaBox could do any better until they have been transplanted,” says Tessier.

The device is currently not portable, and researchers plan to develop a portable, surgery-room ECaBox to minimize degradation in heart-beating donor eyes, when they become available.

What’s Next for the ECaBox?

Cosma and her colleagues plan to use a newer version of their device to collect more human eyes for research.

The next phase of research will focus on whether eyes treated in the ECaBox could do any better after they have been transplanted.

FAQ: Key Questions About the ECaBox

What is the ECaBox? A device that could provide a way to maintain and revive donated human eyes for whole-eye transplantation and offer scientists a new way to study eye treatments.

How long can the ECaBox preserve retinas? The provided sources do not specify the duration of preservation.

Can this replace animal testing? Cosma and her colleagues hope that their device could offer scientists a new way to study eye treatments—one that doesn’t involve experimenting on living animals.

When might whole-eye transplants become viable? The provided sources do not state a timeline for when whole-eye transplants might become viable.