Germinal peptide eye drops promote corneal wound healing and decrease inflammation after alkali injury

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Corneal injuries pose significant challenges to vision.
• Novel therapeutic agents are needed to accelerate corneal wound healing.
• Germinal peptide is a potential candidate for treating corneal damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro effects of germinal peptide on corneal epithelial cells.
• To assess the in vivo efficacy of germinal peptide in a rabbit alkali injury model.
• To compare germinal peptide's healing promotion with recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rh-EGF).

Main Methods:

• In vitro: Assessed cell proliferation and migration of rabbit corneal epithelial cells treated with germinal peptide.
• In vivo: Utilized a rabbit alkali burn model, treating with germinal peptide, rh-EGF, or PBS.
• Evaluated corneal healing, opacity, edema, neovascularization, and histopathology at set time points.

Main Results:

• Germinal peptide significantly increased corneal epithelial cell migration in vitro at 20 and 40 μg/ml.
• In vivo, germinal peptide reduced corneal opacity, edema, and neovascularization compared to controls.
• Histopathology showed increased epithelial layers and reduced inflammation in germinal peptide-treated corneas.

Conclusions:

• Germinal peptide effectively promotes corneal epithelial cell migration and in vivo corneal wound healing.
• The peptide demonstrates potential as a novel topical therapeutic for corneal injuries.
• Further development may lead to clinical applications for corneal wound management.