Overview of Current and Prospective Applications of the Anterior Lens Capsule in Eye Surgery

ALC is an abundant, routinely discarded tissue during cataract surgery. It possesses unique properties of acellularity, optical transparency, and immunologic nativity to the human eye, which enables it to be an excellent donor tissue for ophthalmic surgeries ranging from corneal defect management to prolonging the longevity of anti-glaucoma filtering blebs. The use of ALC autografts in ophthalmic surgery allows for augmentation of standard procedures in phakic patients, delivering satisfactory outcomes and potentially reducing costs. Further research into ALC collection, processing, and long-term storage is needed to enable ALC allograft use in pseudophakic and aphakic patients.