Eyeworld

Cornea Society News – published quarterly by the Cornea Society 6 Global agreement on donated tissue announced ethical dilemmas, where they seek to im- prove tissue access to millions of waiting recipients without compromising their personal moral integrity and profession- al custodial responsibilities to the donor, recipient and the extended community. "The global community is con- cerned about the emergence and devel- opment of a 'market mentality' around donations, and the Barcelona Principles include a clear statement—that it is our collective responsibility to protect and retain stewardship of altruistic donations as a public resource for the shared ben- efit of all," Associate Professor Pollock said. The agreement's key nine strategies include: 1. Respect the autonomy of the donor and their next-of-kin in the consent process. 2. Protect the integrity of the altruistic and voluntary donation and its utility as a public resource for the shared benefit of all. 3. Support sight restoration and ocular health for recipients. 4. Promote fair, equitable, and transpar- ent allocation mechanisms. 5. Uphold the integrity of the custodi- an's profession in all jurisdictions. O n June 14, the global commu- nity of eye care and corneal transplantation organizations unveiled the world's first agree- ment on the use of donated human tis- sue for ocular transplantation, research, and future technologies. A number of Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) members participated in the drafting and review of these guidelines, which were ratified by the EBAA's Board of Directors in April. The document's launch took place during the World Ophthalmology Congress in Barcelona, which explains the title: the Barcelona Principles. Kevin Corcoran, EBAA CEO, along with his counterparts from the other five multi-national eye banking associations, signed the Principles during a ceremony hosted by the Catalonian government and presided over by the Minister of Health of Catalonia and representatives of the World Health Organization. About the Barcelona Principles According to Associate Professor Graeme Pollock, Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations representative, "The Barce- lona Principles evolved from the global community seeking guidance on current 6. Develop high-quality services that promote ethical CTO management, traceability, and utility. 7.Develop local/national self-sufficient services. 8. Recognize and address the potential ethical, legal and clinical implications of cross-border activities. 9. Ensure ethical practice and gover- nance of research (non-therapeutic) requiring cells, tissue, and/or organs. The Barcelona Principles adhere to the World Health Organization's Guid- ing Principles on Human Cell, Tissue and Organ Transplantation. They were developed in partnership with the Glob- al Alliance of Eye Bank Associations, along with the International Council of Ophthalmology, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, the Cor- nea Society, and various ophthalmology societies around the world. Copies of the Barcelona Principles can be downloaded from the Cornea Society website at www.corneasociety. org/publications. CN Editors' note: This was reprinted from the Eye Bank Association of America. Cornea journal report T he Cornea Society is seeking an editor-in-chief of Cornea to begin January 1, 2020. A committee has been empaneled to begin this process, with the hope of selecting an editor by the end of 2018. The editor elect would then spend 1 year as an associate editor, learning the journal's procedures before assuming full duties. The search committee has suggested several charac- teristics for a desirable editor. These include: knowledge of the ophthalmic literature, publishing experience, an understanding of and commitment to research and pub- lishing ethics, and ability to devote time and effort to this role. A more specific job description is in development. If you wish to be considered for this position, please send a letter of interest and a curriculum vitae to Alan Sugar, MD, at asugar@umich.edu or Gail Albert at Galbert@CorneaSociety.org. CN Cornea journal news T he Cornea journal's latest im- pact factor for 2017 is 2.464, which is a 23% increase over the 2016 impact factor of 2.01. The journal ranks 19 out of 59 in the Ophthalmology category. Congrat- ulations to Dr. Sugar on this accom- plishment. The top cited article con- tributing to the 2017 impact factor was "Global Consensus on Keratoco- nus and Ectatic Diseases." CN

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