University of Houston optometry researcher provides new hope for injured corneas

Consider the cornea: the eye’s transparent, dome-shaped surface that provides most of its focusing power and serves as a protective barrier. It directs light onto the retina for sharp vision and shields the eye from dust, debris and harmful UV rays. That’s a lot to ask from a structure made of cells and proteins that’s about two-thirds the size of a dime, yet it does its job brilliantly.

Until it is damaged. Then vision can blur, distort-or be lost entirely. And the cornea is definitely prone to damage.

“When the cornea gets injured, it often heals with scar tissue and abnormal blood vessels, both of which can cause permanent vision loss,” said Tarsis G. Ferreira, assistant professor at the UH College of Optometry. “Unfortunately, there are few treatments for this, and in severe cases, patients need a corneal transplant.”

That dilemma led Ferreira to begin developing a treatment for corneal scarring. He is supported in his work with a five-year grant for $2.2 million from the National Institutes of Health. The treatment focuses on a natural protein in the cornea, named decorin, which plays an essential role in keeping the cornea clear and healthy. It does this by blocking another protein called TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor beta 1), which triggers the scarring process after injury.