Contact Lenses Coated with Peptides Reduce Infection and Are Safe, Says New Study

Contact lenses coated with a peptide lower the risk of infections, reports a study in Optometry and Vision Science. Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney evaluated the safety of wearing contact lenses covalently bonded with melimine, a cationic peptide.  Peptides, part of the immune system, can inhibit microbial growth. Their results indicate that melimine-coated CLs are safe and biocompatible. The coated contacts caused increased staining of the cornea. Patients rated the comfort of coated and non-coated lenses the same. There was no delayed reactions to wearing the coated lenses, such as red eye, and the peptide remained active a day after the lenses were removed. Read more.