Bioengineered Cornea
Bioengineered Cornea
According to the WHO, corneal opacity accounts for over 4% of blindness worldwide, leading to more than 1.5–2 million cases each year
Globally, it is estimated that 4.9 million suffer from bilateral corneal blindness and 23 million from unilateral
Greater than 12.7 million people are waiting for a corneal transplant globally
India has a huge burden of bilateral (1.2 million) and Unilateral (5 - 6 million) corneal blindness. Each year, the burden increases by 30K new cases of blindness.
More than half of the donated corneas do not meet standards for transplant.
Bioengineered Liquid Cornea
Our hydrogel formulation has 3 major components. Two biopolymers undergo a photoactive mediated transition from the liquid phase to a hydrogel or semi-solid phase, where it takes the exact shape to perfect fill-in the wound site. The composition is biomimetic in terms of light transmittance and provides adequate mechanical support. The bioengineered liquid cornea is a regenerative treatment and this biopolymer acts as a sacrificial matrix for accelerating the growth of host tissue to cover the wound site. The trigger for this growth is provided by a bioactive component, the exosomes which are delivered to the wound site, embedded in the biopolymeric matrix. These exosomes are derived from the population of predominant cell types in the cornea and are programmed to promote scarless wound healing, to restore vision, the primary function of the cornea and eye.
The exciting journey of extensive research in this product encompasses every minute requirements to build the biomimetic bioengineered support for restoring vision. Currently, Pandorum is performing pre-clinical animal trials and aiming towards human clinical trials.
Animal studies – Application of bioengineered (liquid) cornea
Uniform distribution and proliferation of cells inside the Bioengineered (Liquid) Cornea
Bioengineered Corneal Lenticule
Corneal transplantation is not viable option for Keratoconus (thinning and bulging out of cornea) and keratitis (inflammation in cornea), which are the two most common problems. This treatment strategy has a downside such as shortage of clinical grade donor corneas, post-transplant complications, including rejection and infections. Pandorum’s efforts have been focussed on developing bio-engineered corneal lenticule which can aid in overcoming the challenges of corneal transplantation.
A unique combination of biopolymer (bio-ink) based corneal lenticule mimicking the shape and size of the human cornea which is fabricated using additive manufacturing technology. The corneal lenticule would possess all the desired physical and biological properties necessary for long term integration with the host tissue while supporting steady regeneration. Currently, the technology platform is being optimized for obtaining an effective treatment for various corneal blindness conditions. Meanwhile advanced stage in-vitro validation of bio-ink is being carried out.