Iowa State focuses on new eye treatment

Des Moines, Iowa

-- Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine may have found a better way to treat canine eye diseases than typical drops.

Dr. Sinisa Grozdanic, assistant professor of clinical sciences at the school, is working with drug developers to create a method of implanting a biodegradable medicine into the tissue around a dog's eye, believing it would be more reliable and effective than eyes drops. The treatment could be released gradually and could treat the infected eye for up to a year, according to a press release.

The implant could be made from a polymer and ultra-fine fibers, then inserted through a small incision in the dog's conjuctiva. Grozdanic says only one stitch is needed to close the opening, and the whole procedure could be done in a few minutes using local anesthesia.

To learn more, contact the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine .