Purdue research team hopes to find treatments for chronic eye diseases

Editor's Note: The following is part of a class project originally initiated in the classroom of Ball State University professor Adam Kuban in fall 2021. Kuban continued the project this spring semester, challenging his students to find sustainability efforts in the Muncie area and pitch their ideas to Ron Wilkins, interim editor of The Star Press, Journal & Courier and Palladium-Item. This semester, stories related to health care are featured.

Shakespeare wrote, “Eyes are the window to the soul.” However, many might not know that eyes are often related to many health conditions and are one of the most important organs of the human body.

“Regular eye screenings (are) a key component of preventive health care, aiming to mitigate the impact of chronic ocular diseases on individuals' quality of life,” Chi Hwan Lee, associate professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering at Purdue University, said via email.

Lee is part of a Purdue University research team that is working on developing new smart soft contact lenses that will continuously monitor and treat chronic ocular diseases like glaucoma and dry eye syndromes — two common eye diseases in adults over 40.

This research will result in two products, according to Lee.

One is a smart contact lens that continuously monitors intraocular pressure, or fluid pressure of the eye, an indicator for glaucoma. The smart, soft contact lenses fit across different corneal curvatures and thicknesses in human eyes, measuring intraocular pressure at all times, including during sleep.

The second is an “ocular drug delivery system using silicon nanoneedles on a dissolvable lens, offering a controlled, minimally invasive method for sustained medication delivery,” according to research published in “Science Advances.” This means that rather than delivering drugs by topical administration like ointment or eye drops, the drugs would be administered by nononeedles, increasing positive results in treatment.

This product would have a particular promise treating dry eye disease.

Dry eye

Dr. Ajita Tiwari is an ophthalmology specialist in Muncie, Indiana.

Tiwari said patients who wear contact lenses, smoke, are diabetic, poorly nourished, drug users and elderly who are not receiving proper care are the most likely to suffer from a chronic eye disease.

“As we get old, most people will develop some form of eye disease, starting with something as simple as dry eye disease,” Tiwari said.

According to the American Optometric Association , as people age, their eyes change. This includes needing more light, experiencing difficulty reading and doing close-up work, noticing additional glares, having a change in color perception and having reduced tear production.

This reduced tear production is what creates dry eye disease, Tiwari said.

A common test for tear production is called the Schirmer Tear Test, which starts by numbing the eyes to allow a piece of filter paper to be placed in the corner of the eye, Tiwari said. The amount of tears produced after five minutes is measured.

There are more advanced tests available, such as testing the osmolarity — the amount of water lost, Tiwari said.

According to the Dry Eye Assessment and Management (DREAM) Study Research Group , there are mixed results in studies that would support that osmolarity can be used to diagnose dry eye disease. The group argues that this test simply aids in decisions about the severity of the disease and in deciding treatments rather than operating as a diagnostic tool.

Glaucoma

The leading cause of blindness in people 60 and older is glaucoma, which is one of the diseases being targeted by Lee’s research team.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, one’s eye is constantly creating aqueous humor — a fluid that keeps the eye inflated. As new aqueous flows into your eye, the same amount should drain out through the drainage angle. But if the angle is not properly working, fluid builds up, creating high pressure in the eye and damaging the optic nerve.

“Glaucoma can last years and years, and it needs to be treated for life,” Dr. Tiwari said.

Glaucoma is considered a “silent thief of sight,” according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. This is because, in the early stages of the disease, there are no symptoms. This results in half of glaucoma patients not knowing they have it.

Currently, there is no reversal or cure for glaucoma, only preventative progression care. People with a genetic or family history of glaucoma are more at risk and should be tested anytime they have symptoms, especially starting around age of 40, Tiwari said.

According to research from Charles W. McMonnies and the National Library of Medicine , a family history of glaucoma may result in risk 2.1 times of having at least open-angle glaucoma, one of the most common types of glaucoma.

The future of treatment

Glaucoma often is subjected to a late diagnosis, something that gives reason to Lee’s research team on why they’re working toward continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure.

Lee’s research team recently received $6.7 million from the National Eye Institute at the National Institute of Health to advance their smart contact lens projects.

According to a representative at the National Eye Institute, government-funded research like the one awarded to Lee’s team is a crucial part of developing evidence-based solutions to the problems that are challenging society and improving the quality of life for citizens.

“The grants will aid in refining our lens technology, conducting essential clinical trials, and moving towards commercializing a solution that promises to greatly improve chronic ocular disease management by integrating continuous monitoring and effective treatment into a patient's daily life,” Lee said.

Lee said that clinical trials are planned next for the research team. Concurrently, the team is laying the groundwork for commercialization, addressing regulatory approvals, manufacturing and marketing strategies.

“Our aim is to bring this transformative technology to the market, offering a novel solution for chronic ocular disease management that is both effective and user-friendly,” Lee said.

While Lee’s team continues to develop research in preventative care, monitoring and treatment, Tiwari continues to recommend routine eye care and eye exams for everyone, especially adults over the age of 40. He also suggests that people with diagnosed eye diseases should be treated early.

“The longer you put it off getting treated, the more miserable you will be for a longer period of time. Treat it early,” Tiwari said. “The later you do it, the harder it is on your eye and the more you deny yourself of seeing.”

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue research team hopes to find treatments for chronic eye diseases