Provision of human ocular tissue for biomedical research: trends, limitations, and potential solutions from an eye bank

Post-mortem donor eye tissues are essential for biomedical research. This study analyzes factors affecting donor eye availability for research through a retrospective review of recoveries at a U.S. eye bank between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023. Two time parameters were studied: death-to-recovery interval, defined as the time from death to tissue procurement, and post mortem interval (PMI), which accounts for the additional time required to transport tissue back to the laboratory for final preservation. The dataset was further stratified based on donor history for three ocular diseases frequently requested by researchers: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Among the eyes recovered specifically for research, only 32% of tissues met the < 12 h PMI requirement commonly requested by researchers. Further, only 27% of all research tissues meeting the < 12-hour PMI criterion arrived at the eye bank during current research staffing hours (8 AM-4 PM). The peak arrival time for research tissues was between 2 PM and 7 PM. The availability of tissues with PMI < 12 h further decreased for specific disease states. These findings highlight the logistical challenges of procuring donor eye tissues for research, particularly those with low PMIs. Adjustments by eye banks and researchers - such as extending staffing hours and relaxing strict PMI cutoffs - could significantly expand the donor pool for research. For example, if our eye bank extended research staffing by 3 h and researchers increased the allowable PMI to < 16 h, donor eye availability would increase by 223% over the current approach.