Dr. Muhammad Ali Riaz from Johns Hopkins University Awarded $89,630 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant for Pediatric Endothelial Keratoplasty Research

Dr. Muhammad Ali Riaz from The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland was awarded an $89,630 grant for the research entitled: Examining the efficacy of human iPSC-derived corneal endothelial cells injection as an alternative to pediatric endothelial keratoplasty.

Loss or decrease of vision can dramatically impact the quality of life and the effects are particularly devasting for pediatric patients with their entire lives ahead of them. The cornea is the outermost tissue of the eye comprising five layers with endothelium as the innermost layer. When the function of the endothelium is compromised due to either trauma or disease, corneal edema (swelling) develops, and if left untreated, results in blindness.

In congenital endothelial disease patients, the endothelium layer and the underlying Descemet’s membrane are severely affected. Currently, the only treatment for endothelial disease in children is transplantation surgery using postmortem cornea. Transplantation has been effective in restoring vision; however, in many cases, the immune system of the patient rejects the transplanted tissue, which importantly, is much more common in children with active immune responses. The graft rejection leaves children worldwide vulnerable to congenital corneal endothelial dystrophies and the situation is further exacerbated by the global shortage of transplantable-grade tissue.

To address these issues, Dr. Riaz has proposed a novel, minimally invasive treatment that can preserve eyesight. As demonstrated by his laboratory, he has developed cells that can serve as an alternative to donor tissue in treating adult animals with corneal edema. Importantly, the procedure did not result in immune rejection for up to two years in adult animals. The strategy includes treating corneal endothelial edema using differentiated cells in juvenile rabbits and monkeys. The knowledge gained from this project will bring us one step closer to preventing childhood blindness.