Conditions: Corneal Neovascularization
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 10
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness and safety of Interleukin-1-Receptor Antagonist eye drops for the treatment of corneal blood vessels.

Detailed description:
Normally avascular, under many pathologic conditions, vessels may invade the cornea from the limbal vascular plexus. Infection, inflammation, ischemia, degeneration, or trauma, and the loss of the limbal stem cell barrier can cause corneal neovascularization. Growth of new vessels may result in corneal scarring, edema, lipid deposition, and inflammation that may alter visual acuity and is a leading cause of monocular visual impairment and blindness. Additionally, it results in the loss of immune response across the cornea, thereby worsening the prognosis of a subsequent penetrating keratoplasty (PK). Growth of new blood and lymphatic vessels from preexisting vessels are mediated by members of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family. This study is designed to investigate whether Interleukin-1-Receptor Antagonist is a drug that is both safe and effective in blocking VEGF pathways, stopping new growth, and reducing old vessel growth.

Arms:
arm 1: It is our intent that 10 patients will complete a course of treatment with placebo, followed by a course of treatment with 5% custom made topical IL-1Ra. arm 2: It is our intent that 10 patients will complete a course of treatment with 5% custom made topical IL-1Ra, followed by a course of treatment with placebo

Interventions: intervention 1: Placebo intervention 2: IL-1Ra
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Custom eye drop eye three times a day in both eyes for a period of 6 weeks intervention 2: 5% custom made topical IL-1Ra 3 times a day in both eyes for a period of 6 weeks

Protocol document: