Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. An estimated 64 million people are affected each year, a number projected to rise to 111 million by 2040 as the global population ages. In glaucoma, increased intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye damages the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain, resulting in vision loss. The University of Pittsburgh has patented stem cell-based therapies to regenerate the trabecular meshwork (TM) that allows fluid to drain, reducing IOP. Stem cell-free therapies using stem cell secretome is an attractive treatment strategy for glaucoma with low risk and little invasiveness, especially for populations with religious limitations or high sensitivity.
Description
The secretome derived from trabecular meshwork stem cells (TMSCs) has been found to reduce IOP in two glaucoma mouse models of steroid-induced and inherited glaucoma. Treatment with secretome by periocular injection leads to dramatic IOP reduction to a normal range for up to two months, as well as improved retina function similar to normal animals. Secretome reduced fibrosis in wounded TM cells, increased TM cells’ wound healing capacity, and protected retinal ganglion cell from death. The safety evaluation did not indicate any side effects with secretome treatment.
Applications
· As eye drops or eye ointments or periocular injection for glaucoma treatment and preventing vision loss
Advantages
· Periocular injection is effective and minimal invasive
· Can be applied as eye drops or eye ointments
· No side effects
· Production is efficient, scalable, and reproducible
· Can be stored for years without losing therapeutic efficacy
Invention Readiness
In vitro and in vivo data; xenograft experiments have been completed with very promising results
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2021178977A1Related Publication(s)
Kumar, A., Siqi, X., Zhou, M., Chen, W., Yang, E., Price, A., Le, L., Zhang, Y., Florens, L., Washburn, M., Kumar, A., Li, Y., Xu, Y., Lathrop, K., Davoli, K., Chen, Y., Schuman, J. S., Xie, T., & Du, Y. (2021). Stem cell-free therapy for glaucoma to preserve vision. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.18.449038
