Leading PI: Aránzazu del Campo (INM), Markus Bischoff (Saarland University), Christoph Wittmann (Saarland University)
Dry eye symptoms can prevent long-term wear of contact lenses (CL) for vision aid, cornea protection, or myopia management, necessitating the use of eye drops for lubrication. During the first funding period, researchers developed a CL with biofactories that produce Hyaluronic Acid (HA), a natural lubricant, which self-lubricates the lens surface. This HA release was sustained over weeks in simulated tear fluid, with no observed cytotoxicity. The results were highly recognized in the materials science and ophthalmology communities. Laboratory prototypes with unique features were achieved at TRL 3.
Within this project, the focus will be on preparing for clinical trials by addressing several questions. These include automating prototype fabrication to match commercial contact lens quality for in vivo studies, assessing lubrication performance in different eye conditions, optimizing biofactory performance and minimizing immune response, and understanding the interaction between contact lens-embedded biofactories and the eye microbiome in both healthy and dry eye conditions
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