Is it possible to develop biosynthetic corneas in a laboratory that will once and for all eliminate dependency on donor cornea to fight corneal blindness in India?
Far from being theoretical, in the coming few years, this could be a reality. Such laboratory-created corneas would be a reality, offering a potential solution for treatment and rehabilitation of corneal blind individuals, who depend on life long immunosuppressives.
In this direction, researchers from Hyderabad-based L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) and Linkoping University, Sweden, under a three-year research grant from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), GOI and Swedish Government agency for research and development, Vinnova, have started this project.
India needs an estimated two lakh corneas every year, but it only gets 30,000 to 40,000 through eye banking. In Sweden, estimates suggest that anywhere between 15 and 20 per cent of patients needing corneas do not get transplanted owing to shortage.
“For developing countries, corneal blindness is a major health problem and entails a huge economic burden. Through our research, in the next three years, we expect to develop implants for use for corneal transplantations that would eliminate or at least supplement the need for donor tissue,” says Virender S. Sangwan, Director, Centre for Ocular Regeneration, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI).
Dr. Sangwan is collaborating with well known eye researcher, May Griffith, of Linkoping University, Sweden with a plan to produce regenerative prosthesis as an alternative to donor cornea for transplantation to treat blindness related to corneas.
The eye scientist pointed out that there is already a strong foundation for their research. “We have successfully implanted biosynthetic implants in ten patients in Sweden and all of them have shown encouraging results. We have to build on these and take our research to the next level,” says Dr. Sangwan.
So what are the existing treatment options for corneal blindness?
Worldwide, the widespread treatment for corneal blindness is transplantation through a donor cornea. However, there is a perennial shortage of supply of corneas because of limitations in the practice of corneal donation.
Another modality for treating corneal blindness is through stem cells, which is known as limbal epithelial stem cell transplantation. However, this procedure has its own limitations as for deeper injuries, corneal donation is the only way out.
The scientist pointed out that the Indo-Swedish research essentially will be aimed at developing a regenerative prosthesis or an implant, which will be a mix of biosynthetic cornea and limbal epithelial stem cells that can be implanted in a patient without any complications like rejection.
“DBT has given us funding for clinical trials and in our special research facility at LVPEI, we are aiming to accelerate the translation of biosynthetic corneas combined with stem cells and develop solutions for young patients and old patients who are desperately seeking corneas,” Dr. Sangwan added.
