Progress in Bioengineering: An Extensive Examination of State-of-the-Art Innovations in the Development of Artificial Corneas

Artificial corneas represent a significant breakthrough in addressing global corneal blindness, impacting millions of individuals worldwide. The scarcity of donor tissue and the complications of immune rejection necessitate the development of synthetic alternatives. This review examines key innovations in biomaterials, scaffold design, and regenerative medicine that have informed the development of artificial corneas. Recent studies have demonstrated that polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based hydrogels exhibit 98% light transmittance and an elastic modulus of 1.5 MPa, whereas collagen scaffolds achieve 85% clinical success with <5% inflammatory response. Graphene oxide-based nanocomposites have increased mechanical strength by 25%. Therefore, by synthesizing clinical and preclinical evidence, this article outlines current achievements and unresolved challenges related to scalability, cost, immune compatibility, and regulatory constraints, providing a roadmap for future translational research in corneal tissue engineering.