UCLA's Nasim Annabi Wins $2.5 Million NIH Funding for Corneal Repair and Wound-Healing Biomaterials
Updated
Updated · samueli.ucla.edu · Jun 12
UCLA's Nasim Annabi Wins $2.5 Million NIH Funding for Corneal Repair and Wound-Healing Biomaterials
1 articles · Updated · samueli.ucla.edu · Jun 12
Summary
Nearly $2.5 million in NIH grants will fund UCLA engineer Nasim Annabi’s work on regenerative biomaterials, including a corneal therapy and a chronic-wound dressing.
More than $2 million from the National Eye Institute backs a four-year project to encapsulate mesenchymal stem cells in a light-curable, biodegradable hydrogel that keeps them in place on the eye and promotes corneal regeneration.
About $368,000 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases will support a two-year effort to refine UgiGel, a self-healing gelatin-based adhesive, to stick better to wet tissue, reduce inflammation and detach painlessly.
The projects target gaps in current treatments, which often fail to actively heal tissue or keep therapeutic cells viable, and could lead to new bioadhesive materials for eye injuries and chronic wounds.