The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced the teams to receive awards from its Transplantation of Human Eye Allografts (THEA) program. The agency’s commitment is up to $125 million, for a series of groundbreaking investments to develop the first-ever complete eye transplantation procedure and restore vision for the blind and visually impaired, the agency said in a press release.    

“What if we could cure blindness? Modern medicine can correct some eye problems, but we really have no way to restore lost vision, which THEA now seeks to change,” said ARPA-H Director Renee Wegrzyn, PhD. “THEA intends to revolutionize the reconnection of nerves to the brain and develop breakthroughs in transplantation, preservation and neuroscience. ARPA-H’s investment has the potential to repair vision loss for millions of Americans.”   

The teams selected by ARPA-H will test and evaluate the best therapies to regenerate cranial nerves, maintain critical structures in the eye (such as the retina and optic nerve after transplant), and prevent postoperative inflammation or rejection. To accomplish eye transplant surgery and healing, THEA will leverage emerging microsurgical techniques, coupled with genetic and cell-based therapies, to preserve or regrow nerves from the eye to the brain. These regenerative solutions could help prevent degenerative blindness and are a critical step towards successful whole eye transplantation to restore vision, the agency said in the press release.  

“While there are therapies to slow the progression of vision loss, there are currently none that can bring back a person’s ability to see,” said ARPA-H THEA Program Manager Calvin Roberts, MD. “THEA and our performers intend to address this challenge, by transplanting the whole donor eye, reconnecting the nerves, muscles, and blood vessels to the brain and restoring vision. ARPA-H’s investments may eventually help generate new solutions for other neurological conditions, as well, such as spinal cord injuries.” 

According to ARPA-H, THEA will pursue three technical areas (TAs): (1) retrieval of donor eyes and maintenance of the health of donor eyes until transplantation; (2) optic nerve repair and regeneration; and (3) surgical procedures, post-operative care, and functional assessment.   

The teams will be led by:

• InGel Therapeutics in Allston, Mass. (TA 2), focusing on 3-D printed click-lock gel technology with micro-tunneled scaffolds containing stem cell-derived retinal cells.
• Stanford University (TAs 1, 2, and 3), focusing on donor eye procurement, developing new strategies to promote survival and regeneration of the transplanted cells, and performing transplant surgeries. Eversight will join Stanford to tackle all three of THEA’s technical areas, contributing its expertise in eye banking and vision research.
• The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (TAs 2 and 3), focusing on developing novel stem cell and bioelectronic technologies to promote nerve regeneration and performing transplant surgeries.
• The University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (TA 1), focusing on donor eye procurement and preservation outside the body with its eye-ECMO device.  

The ARPA-H said that if successful, the program will generate new treatments and answers for the leading causes of blindness in the United States — that is, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy — for which there are currently no cures. Beyond eye transplantation, the agency said that THEA's breakthroughs in nerve regeneration could advance treatments for broader neurological conditions, including spinal cord injuries.

The performers’ awards are ceilings, based on each performer meeting its contractual milestones, the agency said. 

For more on THEA, visit the program page.