I-Corps: Corneal epithelial wound healing therapeutic

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发用于角膜擦伤和屈光眼科手术的角膜伤口愈合剂。每年有超过80万人接受屈光眼科手术。这些治疗大多是激光辅助原位角膜磨除术（LASIK）或光屈光性角膜切除术（PRK）。LASIK的伤口愈合时间较短，术后疼痛较少，短期内患者满意度较高。然而，LASIK有角膜异常变薄或角膜瓣脱位的风险，且固定成本高于PRK。如果术后过程对患者更有吸引力，屈光角膜切除术医生更倾向于实施PRK。此外，军人有很高的屈光手术率（每年35,000），因为隐形眼镜通常不允许在现役人员中使用，而眼镜可能会造成脆弱性和后勤问题。PRK占军事屈光手术的85%。角膜擦伤很常见（每年超过100万例），每年有271,750例急诊就诊。角膜擦伤可能导致并发症，如角膜溃疡、视力丧失和慢性伤口。一种新的治疗急性角膜创伤的药物可能会影响这些患者群体的临床护理。I-Corps项目的基础是开发一种新的治疗方法，以改善因损伤或手术造成的急性角膜上皮伤口患者的护理。角膜上皮性伤口是一种常见的疾病，每年影响超过100万患者。常见的急性眼表损伤包括角膜擦伤、术后屈光手术或角膜交联相关损伤。所提出的技术是一种角膜伤口愈合剂，基于一种新型肽的发现，该肽可以加速角膜伤口愈合高达50%，如标准动物模型所示。目前的治疗侧重于支持性护理和预防感染等并发症。需要新的治疗方法来加速伤口愈合和支持更快的恢复。提出的技术可以减轻疼痛，改善视力，并降低角膜上皮伤口愈合过程中的感染风险。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a corneal wound healing agent for corneal abrasions and refractive eye surgery. Over 800,000 people per year undergo refractive eye surgery procedures. The majority of these treatments are either Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) or photo refractive keratectomy (PRK). LASIK wound healing times are shorter with less post-operative pain and higher patient satisfaction in the short-term as a result. However, LASIK has risks of abnormal thinning of the cornea or flap dislocation and has a higher fixed cost than PRK. Refractive keratectomy surgeons are more apt to perform PRK if the post-operative course were more appealing to patients. Additionally, military personnel have a high rate of refractive surgery (35,000/year) because contact lenses are typically not permitted in active duty and glasses may cause vulnerability and logistical issues. PRK accounts for 85% of military refractive procedures. Corneal abrasions are common (more than 1 million per year) and account for 271,750 emergency medical visits per year. Corneal abrasions may lead to complications such as corneal ulcers, vision loss, and chronic wounds. A new therapeutic agent for acute corneal wounds could impact the clinical care of each of these patient populations. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a new therapeutic to improve the care of patients with acute corneal epithelial wounds from injury or from surgery. Corneal epithelial wounds are common conditions that affect more than 1 million patients a year. Common acute ocular surface wounds include corneal abrasions and post-surgical refractive surgery or corneal cross-linking related wounds. The proposed technology is a corneal wound healing agent and is based on the discovery of a novel peptide that may accelerate healing of corneal wounds by up to 50% as shown in standard animal models. Current treatments are focused on supportive care and prevention of complications such as infection. There is a need for new therapies to accelerate wound healing and support quicker recovery. The proposed technology may reduce pain, improve vision, and reduce the risk of infection during the healing process of corneal epithelial wounds.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.