How has animal research helped people with eye diseases and disorders?
Animal models have been of critical importance to surgeons and researchers. Development of laser techniques, transplants, and other surgical processes have been dependent on the use of animals to educate and instruct those in the medical profession. In 1981, the Nobel prize in Medicine was awarded to Drs. Hubel and Wiesel for their work on cortical cells and processes in cats, the cat eye having many similarities to the human eye. Their work has been of major significance in our understanding of how the brain processes vision and has lead to the development of treatments aimed at restoring lost vision in children. A Case in Point: Corneal Transplants Today, corneal transplants restore sight to thousands of people annually. Over the past 30 years, the Michigan Eye-Bank & Transplantation Center has provided ophthalmic surgeons the surgical tissue for corneal transplants for more than 10,000 blind or visually impaired patients. The very early work to develop precision tools and microsurgi
