Hydrogel Contact Lens to Treat Eye Disease

Corneal melting is a condition that is a significant cause for blindness worldwide. The incurable eye disease can be initiated by a number of different causes such as autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, or Stevens-Johnson syndrome), chemical burns, or some surgical procedures (like LASIK and cataract procedures). The patient’s cornea melts due to the uncontrolled production of certain zinc-dependent enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by the patient’s immune cells in the cornea. To help prevent this, a new hydrogel was developed that deactivates those enzymes by removing the zinc ions.