i4i award £1m to develop new cellular delivery methods in Ophthalmology
30 October 2017
A team led by Dr Christos Bergeles and Prof Lyndon da Cruz in collaboration with co- investigators Dr M.
Age-related
macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye condition that affects the part of
the eye responsible for central vision, known as the macula, making it
difficult to see. AMD affects around a million people in the UK alone,
making it one of the most common irreversible eye diseases.
However, new advances in regenerative and cellular therapies have
meant that it may now be possible to restore sight loss from AMD.
Researchers have been able to grow new retinal cells that could be
transplanted to replace the damaged cells in the eye. Currently,
delivery of these cells is performed using a hand-held needle. The
manipulation required for this is very technically challenging and means
that the treatment's success depends on a surgeon's manual skills.
Further, the viewpoint of the surgeon throughout the procedure only
provides access to limited visual data.
This grant will work on developing an innovative robotic system to overcome the limitations of cellular delivery. The flexible robot will steady motion and ensure sub-micrometre manipulation of delicate retinal tissue. In addition, the robotic technology will be coupled with advanced imaging techniques to allow for greater visual precision. Optical Coherence Tomography and Aniography will enable visualisation of all subretinal layers and vessels, assisting the surgeon to target the desired retinal layers.
This robotic system will enable the potential patient impact of novel therapies to be realised; assisting surgeons to deliver retinal cells with precision and impacting AMD patients' quality of life. The i4i programme aims to advance healthcare technologies, devices and interventions for increased patient benefit in areas of clinical need.
- The clinical lead on this project, Prof. Lyndon da Cruz, commented, "Significant
progress in cellular therapy has meant that we are one step closer to
restoring sight and improving AMD patients' quality of life. However,
this huge clinical advancement cannot be realised without the
engineering input needed to enable effective cellular delivery.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to this research's
success."
Dr Christos Bergeles agrees, "This project is a truly multidisciplinary effort. It is a pioneering new treatment and, with millions of AMD sufferers worldwide, it has a potentially vast patient impact. Advancing successful retinal cellular delivery to become a clinical reality would be a major milestone in the capabilities of ocular research."