Scientists of DEZ, I am thinking of making my own NGF (nerve growth factor) eye drops

[hosanna13]

So I've been reading a lot of Pubmed articles (terrible for my eyes, btw) on the use of murine NGF on various ocular pathologies. Many studies have shown that they upregulate corneal nerve regeneration after LASIK in rabbits/animal models. Some studies have been done on human eyes, but only in the context of corneal ulcers (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10889110). Everything looks positive, and given how old these studies are, I wonder why no pharmaceutical has developed a treatment using nerve growth factors instead of BS drops like Restasis. Maybe because there's more money in a never-ending disease vs a cure?

I am thinking of buying my own NGF and replicating these studies to make my own drops (I do have a lab/medical research background, so it's not a foreign field to me). The whole project will cost me about $800. Of course, they are are not for 'human therapeutic use', and only for 'research' purposes. Okay, whatever. I read a Phase I (assesses safety) study for NGF eyedrops, and it was found to be very safe.

Some reservations I have:
1) Does something like this already exist out there that I didn't know about?
2) How effective can NGF be years after LASIK? Can my corneal nerves even grow back?

Have any of you tried nerve growth factor drops, esp after LASIK?

Thanks.

[MannyP]

My surgeon suggested they can take 5 years to regenerate. I heard about using your own blood via a lancet 4 times a day to help repair the eye. However i have not got to that level yet.
I like you thinking. Solve the root cause and not treat endless systoms.
Keep me posted on developments

[hosanna13]

I've also found out that the scientist who discovered NGF and Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcin, herself used NGF eyedrops for the rest of her life. And she lived until 103 without any dementia/vision problems! NGF has been shown to be neuroprotective in diseases like Alzheimers and other dementias. You can't inject it though because it doesn't cross the blood brain barrier. Eyedrops are the only way NGF can reach the brain.

[Hokucat]

Well, you certainly have the background and personal reasons to look into making these drops, hosanna. I hope you succeed!

I don't have corneal neuralgia (but might have when my eyes were severely dry), but the Alzheimer's and dementia benefits of NGF drops is something that can apply to all of us down the line. Thanks for mentioning that bit of info.

[hosanna13]

Update: Sadly, I could not tolerate NGF eyedrops despite all the published papers out there saying there were no side effects in their subjects. My eyes and eyelids would become extremely sore and irritated. Initially, I tried the highest published concentration of 200 ug/mL initially (3x daily), but gradually diluted it to 50 ug/mL. Even then, my eyes were sore and even drier. I was using sterile normal saline as my solvent. I can only deduce that it's due to some unknown chemical used in the purification process of the NGF. I got human beta NGF from Alomone labs. I may try other suppliers in the future because it's the most promising thing I've researched so far.