MUDr. Magdaléna Netuková, PhD, Department of Ophthalmology and Eye Tissue Bank, KVUH and Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University

The Eye Tissue Bank (ETB) of Královské Vinohrady University Hospital (KVUH) began its activities in November 1991 and is the oldest eye tissue bank in the Czech Republic. Its primary mission is to ensure an adequate supply of safe and high-quality tissues for transplantation. Since its establishment, the ETB has distributed more than 20,000 ocular tissues to recipients. The main tissues provided include human corneas, sclerae, and amniotic membranes. The tissue portfolio continues to expand in line with modern trends in ophthalmic surgery. Since 2010, the ETB has also prepared corneal grafts for posterior lamellar keratoplasty. Since 2020, cadaveric dermoepidermal grafts have become part of the bank’s portfolio. These tissues are used exclusively by the Department of Burns Medicine at KVUH. To date, more than 280,000 cm² of this valuable tissue have been provided for the treatment of severely burned patients. Since its inception, the ETB has also served as a training centre of the International Federation of Eye and Tissue Banks (IFETB), a non-profit organization supporting the development of eye banking worldwide. More than 200 trainees from across the globe have completed training programmes at the ETB. Last year, the ETB hosted a one-week training programme attended by a physician and a laboratory specialist from tissue establishments in Lviv, Ukraine: the 1st Territorial Medical Association of the City of Lviv and the Multispecialty Clinical Hospital of Intensive Care and Medical Assistance. The aim of the training was to enhance expertise in the procurement, testing, and processing of human ocular and skin tissues. The programme significantly expanded both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of the participants. Their stay at the KVUH Eye Tissue Bank contributed to the establishment of tissue banking activities in Lviv, helping to secure much-needed ocular and skin tissues for patients in Ukraine. The Eye Tissue Bank is also actively engaged in research. Currently, seven PhD research projects are linked to the ETB. These projects focus primarily on the potential use of alternative human tissues as substitutes for cadaveric corneas. Additional research explores novel applications for human tissues that are unsuitable for conventional transplantation. Furthermore, ongoing studies investigate genetic testing of ocular tissue donors with the aim of improving the quality and safety of tissues intended for transplantation.