# Minimally Invasive Keratoprosthesis

> **NIH NIH K08** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $200,618

## Abstract

Project Abstract
The objective of this grant application is to train Dr. Charles Yu in the scientific skills and knowledge necessary
for a career as an independent scientist translating scientific discoveries to clinically useful applications,
specifically the restoration of vision in patients with corneal blindness. In additional to the primary goal of
training Dr. Yu to become an independent investigator, this program may have a significant impact on the
treatment of corneal blindness through the development of a new corneal replacement technology.
Candidate
Dr. Yu is a fellowship trained ophthalmologist specializing in corneal blindness and has a deep interest in
developing new technologies to cure blindness. He is an expert in corneal innervation, developing artificial
corneas and animal models of eye disease, ocular infections, and refractive surgery clinical trials. He has a
strong background in the basic sciences having completed numerous research projects and a Howard Hughes
Medical Institute sponsored medical research fellowship. He is currently an assistant professor and a K12
scholar at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary. During this training period he will take numerous
courses in engineering and materials science and complete two internships to develop his skill in polymer
chemistry and industrial design.
Environment
The University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary is one of the largest centers of vision research in the US,
ranking top 4 in NIH funding in the last fiscal year. The department has a total of 47 full time faculty members,
with 24 of them engaged in basic science or translational research. The research program encompasses the
most critical areas of vision research, including investigations into the causes and pathology of blinding
diseases, the development of innovative techniques and instruments for diagnosing and monitoring the
progression of eye disease, genome-wide association studies of retinal diseases and visual functioning and
retinal processes. The department commits over 22,000 square feet of its physical space to research.
Research
The cornea comprises the outer anterior layer of the eye. A normal cornea is transparent and curved, focusing
light from the outside world. When injured by disease or dysfunction the cornea becomes opaque, causing
scattering of light and loss of visual function. In cases where corneal stem cells have been damaged or there is
vascularity, transplantation cannot be performed due to risk of rejection. Currently in these situations a Boston
Keratoprosthesis Type I (BKpro) can be performed. The 5 year success rate varies from 50-70% depending on
study.
However BKpro remains limited by its technical difficulty and rate of complications such as extrusion, infection,
and particularly membrane formation and glaucoma. These complications occur at a rate of up to 65% and
76%, respectively. There is a gap in the current understanding of why prosthetic membranes form and why
there ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10021666
- **Project number:** 5K08EY027459-05
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** CHARLES YU
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $200,618
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-09 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10021666

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10021666, Minimally Invasive Keratoprosthesis (5K08EY027459-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-13 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10021666. Licensed CC0.

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