Clinical trial to test new approach for treating acid attack injuries

A new treatment approach pioneered by Newcastle University researchers will be tested in a clinical trial involving 30 patients.

A study published in Nature Communications earlier in the year highlighted that the enzyme collagenase can be used to promote healing following ocular injury by preventing the loss of corneal stem cells.

The effectiveness of the enzyme will be tested in a clinical trial involving patients who have suffered injuries from industrial accidents or acid attacks.

The trial is funded by the Ulverscroft Foundation and will be carried out at the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India. Results from the trial are expected in 2021.

Professor Che Connon, from Newcastle University, said that the simplicity and the relatively low cost of the therapy is a “game-changer.”

“It greatly expands the number of potential patients being treated for corneal burns across the world, and may well have applications in other diseases,” he said.

Image credit: Newcastle University