This technology is a topical treatment that can be used to stabilize the corneal and scleral eye tissues, which can help prevent future alterations in corneal curvature and halt or slow the progression of certain eye diseases.
Collagen is a fundamental protein found in human connective tissues, such as the cornea and sclera of the eye. Many eye diseases, including keratoconus, keratectasia, progressive myopia, and glaucoma, are related to the progressive degradation of the collagen structure, which often results in alterations in corneal curvature. Current treatment options for these eye diseases primarily aim to correct the surface contour of the eye, but do not address the underlying tissue degradation, thus only delaying the inevitability of eventual corneal transplantation. There have been recent breakthroughs that promote collagen cross-linking through the application of riboflavin, but this requires removing the corneal epithelium prior to application and using ultraviolet (UV) radiation to activate the riboflavin.
This technology stabilizes collagenous eye tissues with a nitrite and nitroalcohol treatment, without requiring removal of the corneal epithelium or harmful UV exposure. The topical stiffening agent is a buffered balanced salt solution that contains nitrite or a nitroalcohol and is applied daily to the surface of the eye for an extended period of time. The nitrogen oxide-containing compound can directly reach the corneal stroma through the corneal epithelium, where the compound is able to activate collagen cross-linking. The corneal and scleral tissues are progressively stabilized through repeated applications of the treatment, thus inhibiting the loss of the structural integrity of the collagenous tissues.
This technology has been validated with bovine corneal endothelial cells.
Patent Issued (US 8,466,203)
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