Houston Daily

The cornea is a key part of the eye, responsible for focusing light and protecting against dust, debris, and UV rays. When damaged, it can result in blurred or lost vision. Scarring and abnormal blood vessel growth are common issues after injury, often leading to permanent vision problems.

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

Ferreira’s research has received a five-year grant totaling $2.2 million from the National Institutes of Health to support his work.

The treatment under development uses decorin—a natural protein found in the cornea that helps maintain clarity by blocking TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor beta 1), which triggers scarring after injury. “Our goal is to engineer a better version of decorin that more strongly blocks TGF-β1 and another protein receptor that promotes blood vessel growth (VEGFR2), to prevent both scarring and unwanted blood vessels from forming,” said Ferreira.

Because natural decorin is difficult to produce in large quantities, Ferreira created an engineered version called mini-dec. This new protein binds more effectively to its targets and can be delivered as eyedrops.

“We hope this new therapy could soon be used to treat eye injuries and surgeries, helping people heal without losing vision,” said Ferreira. The decorin-based drugs will be simple to use and have the potential for treating corneal injuries in the clinic.”