Centre offering regenerative therapy for patients with damaged cornea opens

India's first centre for regenerative therapies for damaged corneas has opened in Delhi, allowing patients to undergo bioengineered cornea treatment. The hospital will use tissue-specific exosomes and tissue-mimetic biomaterials to promote regeneration of healthy, functional corneas. The treatment is liquid drops applied to the cornea, which solidify in less than 10 minutes and integrate into the patient's cornea. Dr Virender Sangwan, director of innovation at the hospital, said the partnership, with Pandorum Technologies, aimed to explore innovative therapies in the regenerative medicine space to replace human tissue with artificial cells.

Patients struggling with corneal damage will soon be able to undergo regenerative therapy without having to wait for a cornea transplant, which experts say often takes years.

Eye Bank Association of India data show that more than 100,000 corneal transplants are required annually. (Shutterstock/Representative image)

Delhi-based Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, in partnership with tissue engineering and regenerative medicine firm Pandorum Technologies, on Wednesday opened what according to the hospital is India’s first centre that will work for regenerative therapies for patients with damaged cornea.

The hospital said their work will be centred around bioengineered cornea, which is a class of products powered by tissue-specific exosomes and tissue-mimetic biomaterials, to promote regeneration of healthy functional cornea. When this is applied as liquid drops on the cornea, it solidifies in less than 10 minutes using visible light and integrates into the patient’s cornea.

Doctors explained that inside the solidified matrix, the biopolymer acts as sacrificial material supporting sustained release of exosomes, which suppress the ulceration defining condition like inflammation, reverses fibrosis, regenerates nerves and restores corneal thickness.

Dr Virender Sangwan, director (innovation) at the hospital said that currently the only way to get a cornea in India is through cadaver donors. However, 40% of the donated corneas do not meet the standards for transplant, he said.

“A bio-printed cornea or liquid cornea will allow patients a chance to regrow damaged corneas with minimal surgical intervention. It doesn’t need any stitching, we don’t need any donor cornea, and the drop fills the gap like a liquid in a mould,” Sangwan said.

“The fact that our supply of corneas is dependent on donors is our biggest challenge. Our partnership with Pandorum technologies aims to solve this challenge by exploring innovative therapies in the space of regenerative medicine where human tissue is replaced with artificial cells,” Sangwan said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), corneal opacity accounts for around 4% cases of blindness worldwide, leading to more than 1.5–2 million cases each year. India has a huge burden of bilateral (1.2 million) and unilateral (5 - 6 million) corneal blindness.

Data show that each year, the burden increases by 30,000 new cases of blindness.

Eye Bank Association of India data show that more than 100,000 corneal transplants are required annually, but only 25000 are actually done.

“The initiative hopes to help bridge the demand-access for cornea availability by making regenerative treatments accessible for millions,” said Sangwan.