Dua’s layer: Dr. Harminder Singh Dua, Indian origin UK doctor discovered new layer of cornea
To cure blindness of eye due to glaucoma, Professor Harminder Singh Dua from the Nottingham University discovered an ultra-thin layer hidden deep in the human cornea that can help treat glaucoma. (He is an Indian origin UK doctor).
About the new layer discovered by Mr. Dua
This 15 microns thick new layer also known as Dua’s layer.
Located at the back of the cornea between the corneal stroma and Descemet’s membrane.
Plays a vital role in the structure of the tissue that controls the flow of fluid from the eye.
Makes an important contribution to the sieve-like trabecular meshwork called the Trabecular Meshwork (TM) in the periphery of the cornea.
Benefit of this discovery: It will offer new clues on why the drainage system malfunctions in the eyes of some people, leading to high pressure.
- The study was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Previously, Scientists believed that the cornea consists of five layers- from front to back— the corneal epithelium, Bowman’s layer, the corneal stroma, Descemet’s membrane and the corneal endothelium.
What is Trabecular Meshwork (TM)?
TM is a wedge-shaped band of tissue that extends along the circumference of the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye. It is made of beams of collagen wrapped in a basement membrane to which trabecular cells and endothelial cells attach. The beams branch out randomly to form a ‘meshwork’.
- Pressure within the eye is maintained by the balance of aqueous fluid production by eye tissue called the ciliary body and drainage principally through the TM to the canal of Schlemm, a circular channel in the angle of the eye.
- Defective drainage through the TM is an important cause of glaucoma, a condition that leads to raised pressure in the eye that can permanently affect sight.
Note: Glaucoma is a devastating disease caused by defective drainage of fluid from the eye and is the world’s second leading cause of blindness.
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Month: Current Affairs - February, 2014
Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs