News — Rockville, Md.—The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Foundation congratulates Neil Lagali, PhD (Linköping University, Sweden) and Mehrdad Rafat, PhD (LinkoCare Life Sciences AB /NaturaLens AB, Sweden) — recipients of the 2023 Point of View Award. Established by the Point of View Foundation (Fundació Punt de Vista), the award provides a $20,000 cash prize in recognition of an outstanding scholarly article related to efforts to restore vision through regenerative ophthalmology, biotechnology, whole eye transplantation or other approaches.
Lagali and Rafat were selected for their article entitled, 'Bioengineered corneal tissue for minimally invasive vision restoration in advanced keratoconus in two clinical cohorts' (Nature Biotechnology; Aug. 11, 2022).
"Our research focused on corneal visual impairment and blindness in keratoconus, a disease which affects millions worldwide and with an especially dire situation in low and middle-income countries," says Lagali. "Challenges, however, in treating advanced keratoconus include sourcing donor cornea tissue in adequate quantities, delivering the tissue to where it is needed when it is needed, and performing complex and risky transplantation surgery needed to restore vision." Lagali and Rafat addressed these challenges by bioengineering implantable corneal tissue and using a new, less invasive surgical method that could be used to reshape the cornea and restore its mechanical and refractive properties. This resulted in restoring vision to patients with advanced keratoconus who were legally blind, to the degree that some patients achieved 20/20 vision postoperatively.
"We are very thankful and wish express our gratitude for this award, which will be used to dedicate more time to setting up larger clinical trials to validate this approach in a broader population of patients," says Lagali. "This we hope will ultimately lead to an off-the-shelf solution for corneal implantation that does not depend on donated tissue or eye banks, that could potentially benefit many people globally. I have dedicated my research career to helping to treat or prevent vision impairment and loss, and this award motivates me to continue to pursue these efforts."
Rafat adds that "This award means a lot to me and my team as it recognizes 20 years of our research and development activities toward developing a new device that can help people who are suffering from corneal blindness and impaired vision. We are grateful and honoured to receive this prestigious award from ARVO and the Point of View Foundation. As we still have a long way to go to further run pivotal clinical trials in more patients, meet regulatory requirements and certify the product, and scale up the production, this award will highlight our work helping us attract top expertise in ophthalmic space, investors, and industry experts to achieve the above-mentioned goals."
For more information about the Point of View Award, visit ARVO’s website
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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include approximately 10,000 eye and vision researchers from over 75 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders. Learn more at ARVO.org.
Established in 2001, the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research raises funds through partnerships, grants and sponsorships to support ARVO’s world-class education and career development resources for eye and vision researchers of all stages of career and education. Learn more at ARVOFoundation.org.
Based in Spain, the Point of View Foundation (Fundació Punt de Vista) is dedicated to advancing scientific research related to disease and injuries of the eye and visual system. To learn more about their work, visit the .
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