|
Title
|
Treatment of Keratoconus Using Collagen Cross Linking
|
|
MEEI Protocol ID
|
09-09-087
|
|
Condition
|
Keratoconus
|
|
Sponsor
|
Cornea Transplant Research Fund
|
|
Principal Investigator
|
Kathryn Colby, M.D., Ph.D.
|
|
Study Design
|
Participants in this trial will be randomized to receive either the cross linking procedure or a sham treatment. Including the procedural visit, this study involves 10 visits to our cornea clinic at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.
|
|
Study Objective
|
This clinical trial is studying the effects of “collagen cross-linking” as a treatment for keratoconus.
|
|
Who is Eligible
|
Patients with Keratoconus, between the ages of 16 and 35
|
|
Subject Enrollment
|
We are currently enrolling individuals who will have Keratoconus who meet the study eligibility criteria.
|
|
Study Procedures
|
The cornea contains a protein called collagen that normally provides stability (like the steel beams within a tall building). In this study, we will attempt to form extra connections between the collagen strands to try to strengthen the cornea in patients with keratoconus. The extra connections, called “cross-links” are formed by exposing the cornea to an ultraviolet light right after a chemical agent (riboflavin) is applied to the surface of the cornea.
This treatment is approved for use in Europe, and is currently undergoing clinical trials in the United States. This trial is being conducted in conjunction with the SUNY-Buffalo School of Medicine and the Verdier Eye Center in Grand Rapids, MI.
|
|
For More Information
|
Cornea Research
(617) 573-3313
|
Click here to return to the Ophthalmology Department Clinical Research page.
Page updated 7/26/2011.
