Contact lens trials poised for promising advances

 

Take-Home Message

A number of clinical trials are focusing on various medical uses for contact lenses. The latest updates on these and other studies are always accessible via clinicaltrials.gov.

 

 

By Rose Schneider, Content Specialist, Ophthalmology Times

Gone are the days when contact lenses are used just for vision correction. Today, contact lenses have applications in many different medical uses, such as protecting the cornea from injury and stabilizing myopia.

Furthermore, researchers are exploring several more advances, such as in the areas of dry eye disease and persistent epithelial defects.

Dry eye disease

Dry eye disease-a huge issue for many contact lens wearers-and its effects have become more widely recognized in recent years.

One current study recruiting participants is testing whether a novel daily disposable contact lens material with alginic acid improves comfort to patients with dry eye, said Paul Velting, OD, co-director of contact lens services, North Suburban Vision Consultants, Deerfield, IL.

“Alginic acid is a zwitterionic (neutral polarity) material found in the cell walls of brown algae, and forms a viscous gum when it binds with water¹,” Dr. Velting explained. “It is similar to hyaluronic acid in animals, which is already being used in contact lens solutions and materials, and also has wound-healing applications in medicine².”

The use of autologous serum eye drops in conjunction with silicon hydrogel soft contact lenses to treat persistent epithelial defects is also currently being studied, said Dan Mlnarik, OD.

“Autologous eye drops, if used without protection from the mechanical involvement of the eyelid, can provide relief and reparation of persistent epithelial defects, as serum eye drops provide growth factors, fibronectin, and vitamins that other eye drops may lack,” said Dr. Mlnarik, of PersonalEYES Vision Care, Grand Rapids, MI.

The hope is that the trial-slated to close in August-will show there is a significantly better outcome for patients suffering from persistent epithelial defects, Dr. Mlnarik said.

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