Researchers develop unique biomimetic cornel hydrogel from discarded human corneas

Hyderabad, March 15, 2022:

Researchers from leading institutions like Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) and IIT Hyderabad have developed a unique biomimetic corneal hydrogel, made up of discarded human corneas, which can be used to treat corneal scarring, a major cause of corneal blindness.

According to members of Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Research Grant 2021 committee, which is funding the research study, this research study holds promise for millions of patients suffering from corneal blindness and even has the potential to resolve the perennial shortage of corneas needed for transplantation. “This is a groundbreaking research finding which could help resolve the problems of millions of people suffering from corneal problems,” observed the members from the Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Research Grant.

Giving more insights on the new development, scientists from CCMB and LVPEI said that at present the technology developed by them has achieved success in animal models and it further needs to be scaled up for implementing the same in humans for which a lot of funding is needed to carry out the tests and trials on humans.

For taking up the safety and efficacy trials on patients with this new technology the researchers have received a funding of Rs. 3 crore from Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Research Grant.

It is learnt that the technology could be a simple alternative to corneal transplantation as it uses biological material derived from discarded human corneas as injectable hydrogel. “This new technology is a novel innovative and cost effective and easily implementable solution to a problem that affects millions across the world. This project provides hope to not only all patients with corneal blindness, but also to specifically targets a large proportion of patients who otherwise carry poor prognosis for corneal transplantation.”
 
As per the available statistics from national blindness and visual impairment survey 2019, in India alone there are 68 lakh people who suffer from corneal blindness in at least one eye out of which 10 lakh are blind in both their eyes.

Loss of corneal clarity or transparency is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment that affects millions worldwide. While the medical condition is irreversible, corneal transplantation has become a standard of care for patients with severe disease and vision loss. Pharmabiz