COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR STABILIZING CORNEAL TISSUE AFTER REFRACTIVE SURGERY

摘要

Methods of stabilizing collagen fibrils in a cornea comprising administering a composition comprising a protein that crosslinks collagen fibrils and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier are disclosed. Patients that would benefit from the practice of the methods include patients' having a refractive surgical procedure, patients with keratectasia, and patients with keratodconus. In some embodiments, a protein that crosslinks collagen fibrils by binding to each of two different fibrils to form a bridge there between is use in the method. An example of a protein of this type is decorin. In other embodiments, a protein that crosslinks collagen fibrils by catalyzing the formation of a covalent bond between an amino acid in one collagen fibril and an amino acid in a second collagen fibril is used. Proteins that catalyze formation of covalent bonds between collagen fibrils include transglutaminase.