New bioadhesive with 3D printing technique to improve pterygium surgery
Dr. José Luis Pedraz, head of Nanobiocel group and Scientific Director of Unit 10 of NANBIOSIS, participates in the public-private collaboration BIOTAPE project that will develop a new bioadhesive for its application in pterygium surgery to improve the currently used surgical techniques in the treatment of this eye disease that affects the conjunctiva and cornea.
The main cause of pterygium is the lack of lubrication of the eye by the tear film. This lack of lubrication may be due to various external factors such as excessive exposure to sunlight, harsh environmental conditions or even allergens, which causes dryness and subsequent irritation in that area. Pterygium grows in the form of fleshy mass on the cornea, being in these cases the application of surgery to extract it. So far the technique with better results is to place a graft of the conjunctiva of the eye itself in the place of removal of the pterygium, fixed by sutures or tissue adhesives.
In the BIOTAPE project, 3D printing technique will be used to manufacture the new bioadhesive that will help reduce the current complications among which we can highlight the high rates of recurrence of the disease, surgical and post-surgical complications and the cosmetic result, not always satisfactory.
The new project, to be developed over the next three years, is funded with a budget of 513,000 euros by the Challenges-Collaboration program of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and the participation of three Spanish companies (AJL OPHTALMIC, BRECA Health Care and Bilboftal-ICQO), the University of Miguel Hernández in Elche, CIBER-BBN and unit 10 of NANBIOSIS-ICTS.
“Promover el desarrollo tecnológico, la innovación y la investigación de calidad”
