Columbia Technology Ventures

Stabilization of eye tissue with nitro compounds

This technology utilizes nitrogen oxide-containing compounds as a non-invasive method to treat bilateral degeneration in the cornea caused by advanced keratoconus.

Unmet Need: Non-invasive strengthening of corneal tissue

Current methods to treat corneal scarring and vision impairment caused by advanced keratoconus rely on invasive surgical procedures. Many of these procedures involve photochemical collagen crosslinking in the cornea by scraping away epithelial cells and treating the tissue with riboflavin and UV light. Though the crosslinking of collagen has been shown to improve the condition of patients, these invasive procedures require UV light irradiation, can be painful, and carry an increased risk of infection.

The Technology: Non-invasive, pharmacologic stabilization of tissue in the cornea

This technology uses topical solutions containing nitroalcohols for stabilizing corneal tissue. Non-enzymatic crosslinking of collagenous tissues by these nitrogen oxide-containing agents stiffens the cornea, making it more resistant to bending, thinning, and other structural deformations. These compounds penetrate the corneal stroma and induce crosslinking without the need for removal of the epithelium, UV irradiation, or other potentially harmful procedures. This technology can be used to delay or prevent the progression of keratoconus and related corneoscleral degenerative disorders in a non-invasive, patient-accessible format, such as eye drops.

This technology has been validated on porcine cornea samples in vitro.

Applications:

  • Treatment of keratoconus, keratectasia, and related diseases
  • Crosslinking agents for tissue engineering
  • Topical crosslinking agent collagen fibers in the eye, skin, tendon, and other tissues

Advantages:

  • Non-invasive, non-surgical treatment
  • Does not require scraping of the corneal epithelium
  • Eliminates pain, surgical complications, and risk of infections
  • Achieves crosslinking of collagen fibers without UV irradiation
  • Low toxicity to delicate eye tissues
  • Can be conveniently administered in the form of eye drops
  • Treatment does not require an office procedure
  • Readily available, low-cost active ingredients

Lead Inventor:

David C. Paik, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Status

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