The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has obtained up to $46 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to foster a revolutionary treatment for full blindness that uses human eye transplants. This funding will go to the Total Human Eye Allotransplantation Innovation Advancement (THEIA) led by Dr. Kia Washington and Dr. Christene A. Huang of CU Anschutz.
EYE REPLACEMENT: The Gist of Eye Transplants
This pioneering study will address some of the hurdles of human eye transplants, an area that has yet to demonstrate success in vision rehabilitation.
Dr. Washington, one of the nation’s premier surgeon-scientists, stated that he was able to restore vision due to evolution in technology, transplant surgery, and regenerative medicine. The team will begin with animals to assess optic nerve regeneration and immunosuppressive and post-operative care to people and aims at using human test subjects.
Partnership with Top Universities
CU Anschutz has included some strategic affiliations with adequate institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Southern California.
These collaborations will entail the application of high-tech approaches like gene therapy, bioengineered bridges for nerves, and electrical stimulation for nerve regeneration and vision improvement.
Potential for Broader Impact
The outcome of the project may be useful in managing other diseases that similarly impact the CNS. It also includes sclerosis of the spinal cord, traumatic head injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. The team should come up with innovations that can be valuable to patients in hospitals across the globe.
This substantial ARPA-H funding is a revolutionary step in the quest to regain vision and improve regenerative medicine for total blindness patients.
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is a driving force to improve health outcomes through policies promoting high-impact innovations beneficial to society. ARPA-H’s FY24-26 Strategic Plan defines the organization’s goal of transforming the landscape of healthcare through the advancement of novel treatments and solutions.
