Award Details:
Award Type: Accelerator
Award #: A-006
Proposal Title: Potential Treatment of Corneal Vascularization
PI(s): Tsutomu Kume (NU)
Award Amount: $100,000.00
Application Cycle: Round 2 (Fall 2018)
Award Start Date: December 1, 2018
Award End Date: November 30, 2019
Abstract:
The cornea is unique in our bodies in normally being devoid of blood vessels. Vascularization profoundly impairs vision and is a major cause of blindness in both the US and worldwide. Vascularization results from a diverse range of conditions, including corneal infections, a wide variety of injuries that include chemical burns and autoimmune conditions, as well as post-corneal transplantation. Currently, there are no effective treatments for corneal neovascularization. The goal of this proposal is to complete the development of a novel therapy for corneal neovascularization and transition it to a clinical trial. We developed a gene therapy approach for corneal neovascularization, using adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated overexpression of FOXC1, in two distinct murine models, and the preclinical studies using an animal model (rabbits) whose cornea is of comparable size to the human cornea may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for a common causes of vision loss and blindness.