Synthetic nanoparticle eyedrops help corneas heal after chemical or inflammatory damage

Northwestern Medicine investigators have developed first-of-its-kind eyedrops that use synthetic nanoparticles to help the eye regenerate cells that have been damaged by mustard keratopathy, or exposure to mustard gas, and other inflammatory eye diseases.

Limbal epithelial stem cells are responsible for maintaining and regenerating the cornea's epithelium, the outermost layer of the cornea. The loss or dysfunction of these cells can lead to limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), which can in turn cause persistent breakdown of the corneal epithelium and, eventually, blindness.

The disorder can be caused by genetic mutations but also chronic inflammation and severe external injuries, including the exposure to sulfur mustard or mustard gas, which has been historically used during wartime.

In response to an urgent need for new targeted therapies, investigators created novel restoring eyedrops containing synthetic lipoprotein nanoparticles developed in the laboratory of Shad Thaxton, associate professor of Urology and co-senior author of the study.

These nanoparticles were designed to mimic some properties of a specific type of lipoprotein called high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), which are naturally found in the bloodstream and can help the body regulate many functions, including inflammation.

Image source: Mark E. Seniw.