Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39986473›Full record

ArticleJournal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society2025

Repurposing verteporfin and hyaluronic acid gel for ocular surface treatment to prevent corneal scarring.

Fang Chen, Nae-Won Kang, Thitima Wungcharoen, Li Jiang, Chris A Basco, Julian Garcia-Sanchez, Danting Lin, Youngyoon Amy Seo, Kyeongwoo Jang, David Myung and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Fang ChenSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.
Nae-Won KangSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.
Thitima WungcharoenSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.
Li JiangSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.
Chris A BascoSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.
Julian Garcia-SanchezSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.
Danting LinSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.
Youngyoon Amy SeoSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.
Kyeongwoo JangSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.
David MyungDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. Electronic address: djmyung@stanford.edu.
Wendy W LiuSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA. Electronic address: wendywliu@stanford.edu.

Funding

Institutional Career Development Core (KL2)KL2TR003143 · NCATS · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI ASCH, STEVEN M. · 2019 to 2023
$8.7M
Stanford Vision Research CoreP30EY026877 · NEI · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Alfredo Dubra · 2017 to 2026
$8.0M
The Role of Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in GlaucomaK08EY034600 · NEI · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Wendy W. Liu · 2023 to 2026
$964k
Nanoparticle-Based Tracking of Retinal Ganglion Cell TransplantR00EY034168 · NEI · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · PI Fang Chen · 2025 to 2026
$498k
Nanoparticle-Based Tracking of Retinal Ganglion Cell TransplantK99EY034168 · NEI · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI CHEN, FANG · 2023 to 2024
$304k
NCATS NIH HHS KL2 TR003143NEI NIH HHS K08 EY034600NEI NIH HHS K99 EY034168NEI NIH HHS P30 EY026877NEI NIH HHS R00 EY034168
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

There is an unmet need for point-of-care therapies to prevent scarring and promote corneal clarity after injury, which is essential for maintaining vision. Verteporfin, an inhibitor of Yes-associated protein (YAP), has been shown to prevent fibrosis in several organs. Visudyne (VP) is an FDA-approved liposomal formulation of verteporfin used to treat abnormal blood vessels in the eye. Here, we showed that VP reduces myofibroblast formation in corneal stromal fibroblasts. To prolong the residence time of verteporfin on the ocular surface, the cohesive viscoelastic ProVisc® hyaluronic acid (HA) gel was hybridized to VP. This formulation is readily translatable because both VP and ProVisc® HA gel are FDA-approved agents. The ProVisc® HA gel increased the residence of subconjunctivally injected verteporfin 12-fold at 24 h after injection compared with pure VP. A single subconjunctival administration of VP hybridized within ProVisc® HA gel (VP/HA hydrogel) significantly reduced YAP activation, corneal fibrosis, neovascularization, and inflammation, leading to reduced opacity without compromising epithelial wound healing in mechanically injured rat corneas. This work demonstrated that VP hybridized with a viscoelastic HA gel can be readily repurposed to promote scar-less healing in the cornea.

Indexed as

CicatrixCorneal InjuriesHyaluronic AcidPhotosensitizing AgentsVerteporfinAnimalsCorneaFibrosisGelsMaleRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyWound HealingGelsHyaluronic AcidPhotosensitizing AgentsVerteporfinCorneal scar preventionCorneal wound healingFibrosisHyaluronic acidVerteporfin

Identifiers

PMID39986473
PMCPMC12492668

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.