| NSF Org: |
TI Translational Impacts |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | September 13, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 22, 2021 |
| Award Number: | 1946450 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Ruth Shuman
rshuman@nsf.gov (703)292-2160 TI Translational Impacts TIP Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships |
| Start Date: | September 15, 2019 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $50,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $50,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
ONE CASTLE POINT ON HUDSON HOBOKEN NJ US 07030-5906 (201)216-8762 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Castle Point on Hudson Hoboken NJ US 07030-5991 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | I-Corps |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): | |
| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.084 |
ABSTRACT
The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to lower the risk of infection and inflammation post-operation in the application of artificial cornea by obtaining full proliferation of corneal epithelial cells and enhancing the corneal fibroblast adhesion, to achieve a faster recovery and lower cost overall. As stated by World Health Organization, over 10 million people suffer from corneal blindness globally; only 1/50 of the patients obtained corneal transplants each year worldwide due to lack of donors' tissue. Current average cost for an artificial cornea itself is from $2K to $5K. Thus, a significant marker exists for Keratoprosthesis (KPro). Aging populations coupled with increasing incidence of eye diseases are expected to be the prime factors driving the growth of the global KPro market. However, severe complications, such as infection and inflammation can occur when using existing KPro methods. The novel artificial cornea of microtextured pHEMA (poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel will potentially save millions of people from corneal blindness; and will provide comfortable wearing experience for patients with less tissue rejection risk after the surgery due to the similar mechanical properties of the KPro to human soft tissues.
This I-Corps project further develops a novel artificial cornea made of microtextured pHEMA (poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel. Studies have shown that well-regulated micropore or microline patterns, depending on cell types, are effective in enhancing cell proliferation and improving cell adhesion, mainly due to the increased contact area between the cells and surfaces. pHEMA hydrogel, the most commonly-used biomaterial in ophthalmology, has similar mechanical properties to human tissues and provides good biocompatibility to the human body as implants. The micropore textures on pHEMA hydrogel will allow corneal epithelium to proliferate well and fast for forming a layer of protection to prevent the eyes from bacterial infection and inflammation; meanwhile the microline textures will allow fast and strong adhesion of keratocytes (corneal fibroblasts) to hydrogel, leading to the stable formation of stroma underneath the artificial cornea for speedy recovery after the implant.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to lower the risk of infection and inflammation post-operation in the application of artificial cornea by obtaining fully proliferation of corneal epithelial cells and enhancing the corneal fibroblast adhesion, to achieve a faster recovery and lower cost overall. As stated by World Health Organization, over 10 million people suffer from corneal blindness globally; only 1/50 of the patients obtained corneal transplants each year worldwide due to lack of donors? tissue. Current average cost for an artificial cornea itself is from $2K to $5K. Thus, the estimated current Keratoprosthesis (KPro) market size is about tens of billion dollars worldwide. Rising geriatric population coupled with increasing incidence of eye diseases is expected to be the prime factor driving the growth of global KPro market. However, over years, severe complications are likely to appear such as infection and inflammation by using the existing KPro in the market. The novel artificial cornea of microtextured pHEMA (poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel will save millions of people from corneal blindness; and will provide comfortable wearing experience for patients with less tissue rejection risk after the surgery due to the similar mechanical properties of the KPro to human soft tissues.
This I-Corps project aims to develop and commercialize a novel artificial cornea made of microtextured pHEMA hydrogel. Studies have shown that well-regulated micropore or microline patterns, depending on cell types, are effective in enhancing cell proliferation and improving cell adhesion, mainly due to the increased contact area between the cells and surfaces. pHEMA hydrogel, the most commonly used biomaterial in ophthalmology, has similar mechanical properties to human tissues and provides good biocompatibility to the human body as implants. The micropore textures on pHEMA hydrogel will allow corneal epithelium to proliferate well and fast for forming a layer of protection to prevent the eyes from bacterial infection and inflammation; meanwhile the microline textures will allow fast and strong adhesion of keratocytes (corneal fibroblasts) to hydrogel, leading to the stable formation of stroma underneath the artificial cornea for speedy recovery after the implant. The device can be used as an implant to restore patients? vision while they cannot find ideal paired donor, especially when it is time-consuming. Facile fabrication process (for manufacturers), easy operation steps (for surgeons), and quick recovery capability (for patients) of the device will allow a lower cost in total than the other existing artificial corneas in the current market.
Through the numerous interviews as the customer discovery activities supported by this I-Corps project, the team has tested various hypotheses for the various categories including customer segments, channels, value propositions, and cost structure for the invention. The results suggest that the proposed invention of the artificial cornea made of microtextured pHEMA hydrogel possesses positive potential for the development and commercialization.
Last Modified: 01/24/2023
Modified by: Chang-Hwan Choi
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