Considerable effort has been focused on the use of cyanoacrylates for clinical ocular repair as adjuncts to or in lieu of surgical procedures. Through repeated studies, however, these adhesives have proved to be damaging to the eye tissue by causing inflammation, neovascularization and tissue necrosis. As an alternative to cyanoacrylates, this project proposes the use of Mussel-adhesive protein (MAP) as a tissue adhesive in ocular repair. Experiments will be conducted with MAP on retinal and corneal tissue in vitro and in situ; MAP will also be evaluated for strength and duration of tissue bonding. MAP is a strong adhesive cement and, unlike cyanoacrylates, appears to be biocompatible; it will likely become an attractive alternative for the treatment of ocular injuries.National Eye Institute (NEI)
