Artificial biocornea material is derived from fishscale

Scientists in The Netherlands have received an innovation grant to finalise the specification of a collagen, derived from fishscale, which will act as an alternative material for cornea regeneration.

The Department of Ophthalmology of the Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC) and Aeon Astron Europe BV (AAE) have officially joined forces to develop the artificial biocornea.

Julio Lin and his team in Taiwan, developed a fishscale-derived collagen scaffold as an alternative material for corneal regeneration. AAE will conduct further research to finalize the specification of the artificial biocornea under supervision of Dr J. Martine Jager, M.D., PhD., former ARVO President, and Prof Dr. G.P.M. Luyten, Head of the Ophthalmology Department of the LUMC.

AAE will transfer the technology and knowledge of the biodegradable biocornea to the LUMC. Michael Lai, CEO, says that AAE has experience in coordinating with the ophthalmologist opinion leaders worldwide and this bio-artificial cornea is the second ophthalmic product AAE is working on.

The LUMC team will undertake the efficacy evaluation in animal models of corneal regeneration and will test the biocompatibility with living cornea cells. The final specification of biocornea will be done through further in vitro and in vivo studies. On completion of the proect it is anticiapted that a human pilot study will get underway. This is a two-year project with a total budget of 1.5 million Euros.