The National Eye Institute seeks research co-development partners and/or licensees for novel methods of cryopreserving cells, tissues, and organs via FOXO1 activation and other mechanisms.
The cornea is a critical part of the eye that helps prevent debris from entering and refracts light for proper vision. Corneal disorders such as keratoconus, Fuchs dystrophy, and infectious keratitis require corneal transplantation to restore vision. Approximately 185,000 corneal transplants are performed annually worldwide to treat corneal disorders. Corneas for those transplants are supplied by donor eyes that are stored at eye banks in select countries.
Currently, Optisol-GS™ is the corneal preservation solution that is most widely used to store donated corneas at eye banks. Per National Eye Institute (NEI) guidelines, corneas preserved in Optisol-GS™ have a 12-day shelf life. With the high demand for corneal transplantations worldwide, a 12-day shelf life cannot meet the requirement for long term cryogenic storage of corneas at large eye banks.
Scientists at the NEI have developed improved methods for cryopreservation of cells, tissues, and organs (with focus of corneal tissue/cells) that increases cold storage shelf life 2.5 times longer than current market products.