Inventors from Hyderabad-based LVPEI get Australian patent for potential remedy to deal with broken corneas

(From left) Dr. Sayan Basu and Dr. Vivek Singh, inventors from L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad.
| Picture Credit score: By Association

Two inventors from L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad have been granted an Australian patent for a cell remedy that can be utilized to restore broken corneas from quite a lot of corneal ailments. Nevertheless, the remedy wants extra validation earlier than it’s used on sufferers.

The 2 inventors who have been granted the patent are Sayan Basu and Vivek Singh. Dr. Basu is a corneal surgeon and a clinician-scientist at LVPEI. He’s the Prof. D Balasubramanian Chair of Eye Analysis on the Brien Holden Eye Analysis Centre (BHERC); and the Director of the Centre for Ocular Regeneration (CORE) at LVPEI. Dr. Vivek Singh is a scientist on the Sudhakar and Sreekanth Ravi Stem Cell Biology Laboratory and Centre for Ocular Regeneration (CORE), LVPEI.

Medical trials underway

“The patent is granted for the superior cell compositions comprising limbal epithelial and stromal cells for treating and stopping corneal ailments, together with their manufacturing strategies and therapeutic purposes. The remedy was beforehand granted a patent by the Patent Workplace, Authorities of India, for a interval of 20 years in accordance with the provisions of the Patents Act, 1970. Authorities of India authorised scientific trials are additionally beneath approach. It would want extra validation earlier than it’s accessible for affected person use,” as per a press launch issued on Thursday (March 13, 2025).

What’s a cornea?

Cornea is a dome-shaped, clear outer layer of a watch which protects it from particles and extra. It filters ultraviolet gentle.

How do corneas get scarred?

Corneal scarring occurs when the cornea is broken and turns opaque as a result of an infection or accidents. Corneal blindness is a significant explanation for blindness and imaginative and prescient impairment, particularly in low- and middle-income international locations.

Present and potential remedies:

Most types of corneal blindness presently require corneal transplants, that are complicated and require lifelong administration. This patented composition has the potential to supply a viable different to transplants that makes use of both the individual’s personal, or donor corneal stem cells to repopulate the corneal floor with wholesome, clear cells, as per the press launch. 

Dr. Sayan Basu stated, “If the scientific trials are profitable, this cell-based remedy may revolutionise the therapy of assorted corneal pathologies.”