Untreated diseases and damage to the conjunctiva, the thin outer layer covering the white of the eye, pose a serious threat to vision. One common condition is pterygium, where conjunctival tissue grows uncontrollably and extends onto the cornea. The standard treatment involves surgically removing the growth and replacing it with tissue taken from a healthy part of the eye. However, this approach has several drawbacks, including pain and scarring at the donor site, the risk of graft failure, and limited tissue availability for larger or repeated procedures. In some cases, the surgery can even prevent patients from undergoing other critical eye procedures, such as glaucoma surgery.
Our team has developed a cell therapy that eliminates the need for tissue grafts. Using a small sample taken from the patient’s eye, we can grow healthy conjunctival tissue in the lab. These lab-grown cells contain all the essential components needed for proper conjunctival function and can be frozen and stored for future use. We have also developed a method to transplant these cells as a sheet, providing an effective alternative to traditional tissue grafts. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that this approach successfully repairs conjunctival damage. Over the next two years, we plan to initiate a clinical trial in humans to evaluate the treatment’s safety and effectiveness, paving the way for a novel therapy for conjunctival disease and damage.
