Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023)

Biomaterials are materials that come into close contact
with living biological cells or fluids. Some of the best examples of
biomaterials include heart valves, blood vessels, artificial joint
replacements, breast implants, intraocular lens implants (for use following
cataract surgery), and contact lenses, of which the latter two are among the
most widely used. Over 140 million people worldwide wear contact lenses, of
which 90% use soft, hydrogel lenses, which are typically replaced after being
used for 1 day to 1 month. In Canada alone, the 3 million wearers of
lenses use approximately 30 million new soft lenses annually. These
materials come into direct contact with the tear film on the surface of the
eye, which is a highly complex fluid containing a wide variety of proteins,
oils, metabolites and electrolytes. Once exposed to the tear film, these
contact lens materials take up various components from it, some of which may
induce inflammatory responses.
This grant will continue my work in developing an
enhanced understanding of the interactions that occur between soft lens
materials with the tear film and outer surface of the eye. It will use a wide variety
of cutting-edge laboratory techniques, with a specific emphasis of trying to
better understand contact lens-induced inflammation.
Two specific programs of work will be undertaken:
a)
To develop a better understanding of the way
that certain pro-inflammatory substances in the tear film result in
inflammation. Once this has been determined then we will develop new materials
that resist the uptake of these components.
b)
To develop novel materials that deliver
anti-inflammatory substances to the surface of the eye. These will include examination
of the potential for substances shown to be beneficial when ingested, such as vitamin
C, resveratrol (found in red wine), components in green tea and omega 3 essential
fatty acids.
Obtaining a greater understanding of the potential for contact
lens materials to cause and modify ocular surface inflammation will help with
the development of next generation contact lens materials and other ocular
biomaterials. The results will provide excellent training for Canadian students
in an area that provides great potential for employment, and will lead to
better contact lens materials for the 3 million Canadians who wear contacts.