Two inventors from L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad have been granted an Australian patent for a cell therapy that can be utilized to restore damaged corneas from quite a lot of corneal ailments. However, the therapy wants extra validation earlier than it’s used on sufferers.
The two inventors who had been granted the patent are Sayan Basu and Vivek Singh. Dr. Basu is a corneal surgeon and a clinician-scientist at LVPEI. He is the Prof. D Balasubramanian Chair of Eye Research on the Brien Holden Eye Research Centre (BHERC); and the Director of the Centre for Ocular Regeneration (CORE) at LVPEI. Dr. Vivek Singh is a scientist on the Sudhakar and Sreekanth Ravi Stem Cell Biology Laboratory and Centre for Ocular Regeneration (CORE), LVPEI.
Clinical trials underway
“The patent is granted for the advanced cell compositions comprising limbal epithelial and stromal cells for treating and preventing corneal diseases, along with their production methods and therapeutic applications. The therapy was previously granted a patent by the Patent Office, Government of India, for a period of 20 years in accordance with the provisions of the Patents Act, 1970. Government of India approved clinical trials are also under way. It will need more validation before it is available for patient use,” as per a press launch issued on Thursday (March 13, 2025).
What is a cornea?
Cornea is a dome-shaped, clear outer layer of a watch which protects it from particles and extra. It filters ultraviolet gentle.
How do corneas get scarred?
Corneal scarring occurs when the cornea is damaged and turns opaque due to an infection or accidents. Corneal blindness is a serious reason for blindness and imaginative and prescient impairment, particularly in low- and middle-income international locations.
Current and potential therapies:
Most types of corneal blindness at the moment require corneal transplants, that are advanced and require lifelong administration. This patented composition has the potential to provide a viable different to transplants that makes use of both the particular person’s personal, or donor corneal stem cells to repopulate the corneal floor with wholesome, clear cells, as per the press launch.
Dr. Sayan Basu stated, “If the clinical trials are successful, this cell-based therapy could revolutionise the treatment of various corneal pathologies.”
Published – March 13, 2025 05:59 pm IST
