ELZA’s research into corneal disease

The ELZA Institute is helping improve the technologies used to reshape the human cornea — the clear front part of the eye.

One of our main research areas is corneal diseases that cause irregular astigmatism, a condition where the cornea becomes misshapen. This can’t be fixed with regular glasses and can seriously affect vision — in some cases, it can even lead to functional blindness. A common cause is a disease called keratoconus, along with other similar conditions like Terrien’s Disease, Pellucid Marginal Degeneration and complications from Radial Keratotomy (RK), a procedure that had frequently been performed in the 1980s and 1990s to correct myopia. Scarring from eye infections or injuries can also lead to this problem — and it can happen to anyone.

Our team of doctors and scientists is working hard to advance treatments. We focus on strengthening the cornea using a method called cross-linking and, when possible, improving vision further using corneal cross-linking and several techniques to improve vision..

With labs at both the University of Zurich and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, we are deeply involved in this research. Our team also regularly shares their findings in lectures around the world — in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.