Effectiveness of a new eyedrop in healing wounds on the cornea in rats – Study by INSERM
Effectiveness of a new eyedrop in healing wounds on the cornea in rats
Abnormal wound healing is a major concern in ophthalmology. It can lead to a range of eye health problems such as chronic infections, corneal ulcers, corneal opacity and impaired vision. Our team at INSERM has previously shown that a protein called the mineralocorticoid receptor is involved in eye inflammation, excess growth of blood vessels in the eye, and hardening / scarring of eye tissue.
Spironolactone (SPL) is a drug already widely available for patient use for other purposes. Recently, it has been shown to prevent some types of delay in corneal wound healing in rabbits. In line with Restore Vision’s goal of repurposing existing drugs to develop new treatments for rare eye conditions, our team conducted a scientific study to evaluate the effectiveness of a new SPL eyedrop in healing corneal wounds in rats.
In collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry, our team developed a new medical grade SPL eyedrop known for its effectiveness against inflammation, excessive fluid, and overgrowth of blood vessels that can occur in eye diseases.
To evaluate the efficacy of the SPL eyedrop, the outermost layer of the cornea was removed and the rats were treated with either the SPL or a placebo eyedrop. The rats also received either an anti-inflammatory treatment called dexamethasone (DEX) plus the SPL eyedrop, or DEX and a placebo eyedrop. This enabled us to evaluate the effect of SPL in preventing corneal wound healing delay.
The healing process was monitored using fluorescent dye, while the excess fluid was evaluated using optical coherence tomography, which is an imaging technique that enables a detailed view of the cornea. Another advanced imaging methods known as immunofluorescence was used to assess three aspects of the rats’eyes: the health of the outermost layer of the cornea, inflammation, and nerve regeneration.
Our study found that the SPL eyedrop was efficient in reducing excess fluid and inflammation in the cornea. It also improved corneal wound healing and restored the health of the outermost layer of the cornea. The SPL eyedrop was was shown to improve nerve function and accelerate the corneal wound healing delayed by DEX.
Given these results, this new SPL eyedrop could in future be used as a treatment for patients with cornea problems that have a range of different causes, including wound healing delay.
