Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Early Phase 1 Interventional Ages 18 and up

Eye drops from umbilical cord stem cell vesicles to help dry eye

Official title: Clinical Study on the Treatment of Dry Eye With Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell-derived Small Extracellular Vesicles Eye Drops

Run by The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University · NCT07623382 · Data updated 2026-11-12

A tiny drop of human umbilical cord stem cell–derived vesicles is applied to the eye daily for four weeks to see if it helps dry eye symptoms and signs.

Quick facts

PhaseEarly Phase 1
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment20 (estimated)
SponsorThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University
Academic / other
Drugs / interventionsradiation
Locations1 site (Xiamen, China)
StatusRecruiting
StartedMarch 31, 2026
Main results expectedNovember 30, 2026
Study endsNovember 30, 2026
Registry record updatedJune 3, 2026
Trial IDNCT07623382 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Adults aged 18 or older with bilateral dry eye disease and specific objective/subjective criteria as described in the protocol.

Probably not a fit

Patients with non-dry eye conditions, active ocular infections, or insufficient eligibility criteria may not see a benefit.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This early-phase study tests the safety and potential benefit of eye drops containing small extracellular vesicles derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in adults with dry eye disease. Participants administer one drop four times daily for four weeks and are followed with weekly visits during treatment, then biweekly follow-ups after treatment, and long-term safety and efficacy assessments at 3 and 6 months. The study monitors adverse events, medication use, and objective eye tests to gauge ocular surface health and symptoms. Eligibility requires adults with a history of dry eye in both eyes and specific tear film or staining criteria, while excluding active ocular infections or herpes. The trial is conducted at The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, China, led by the sponsor with no stated collaborators.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, participants may experience improved eye comfort and tear film stability with the vesicle eye drops.

How similar studies have gone: Past studies have explored stem cell–derived products for ocular surface disease with some positive signals, but this approach remains investigational.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Subjects who voluntarily participate and sign the informed consent form, are willing to comply with the treatment schedule specified in the study protocol, and attend follow-up visits on time.
* Aged ≥ 18 years, with no gender restriction.
* Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of both eyes (OU) ≥ 0.1 at the Screening Visit (Visit 1, V1).
* History of dry eye disease in both eyes prior to the Screening Visit (Visit 1, V1), with at least one of the following subjective symptoms: ocular dryness, foreign body sensation, burning sensation, eye fatigue, discomfort, redness, or fluctuating visual acuity.
* Meeting one of the following criteria at the Screening Visit (Visit 1, V1):

  i. Positive corneal fluorescein staining, TBUT \< 10 s, and OSDI score ≥ 13; ii. Negative corneal fluorescein staining, TBUT \< 5 s, and OSDI score ≥ 13

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects with current ocular herpes or any other ocular infection or inflammation, or a history of ocular herpes or any other ocular infection within 30 days prior to screening.
* Subjects with ocular diseases including structural abnormalities of the eyelid margin (ectropion, entropion, eyelid laxity, etc.), severe conjunctivochalasis, Salzmann nodular corneal degeneration, damaged conjunctival goblet cells (e.g., vitamin A deficiency), progressive pterygium, wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, etc., which, in the investigator's opinion, may increase subject risk or interfere with study outcomes.
* Subjects with secondary ocular scarring that, in the investigator's assessment, may affect subject compliance or outcome evaluation (e.g., radiation scars, chemical burns, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, cicatricial pemphigoid, etc.).
* Subjects with secondary Sjögren's syndrome or other autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.), unless the subject meets all of the following conditions:

  1. Not receiving steroids, immunomodulatory, or immunosuppressive agents for the disease;
  2. The investigator determines that the medical condition will not impact study results.
* Subjects with a history of organ or bone marrow transplantation.
* Subjects who wore contact lenses within 30 days prior to screening.
* Subjects who received physical therapy for dry eye within 30 days prior to screening, including eyelid scrubbing, meibomian gland expression, warm compresses, fuming, or IPL laser therapy for bilateral dry eye.
* Subjects who received oral aspirin or aspirin-containing medications, or used NSAIDs (topical ocular or systemic), or drugs known to induce ocular dryness (e.g., anticholinergics, SSRIs, etc.) within 30 days before dosing, unless the subject has been on a stable dose of such medication for at least 30 days before the baseline visit, with no expected changes during the study.
* Subjects who used the following medications within the specified periods before dosing:

  1. Antihistamines (ocular or systemic) or any topical ophthalmic medications within 14 days before dosing;
  2. Artificial tears within 14 days before dosing;
  3. Steroids or mast cell stabilizers (ocular or systemic) within 30 days before dosing;
  4. Varenicline or diquafosol within 30 days before dosing;
  5. Topical ocular cyclosporine or tacrolimus within 6 weeks before dosing.
* Subjects with punctal plugs implantation or a history of punctal cautery within 12 weeks prior to screening.
* Subjects who used antiglaucoma medications within 3 months prior to screening, had non-laser glaucoma surgery, or underwent glaucoma laser surgery within 6 months prior to the screening visit.
* Subjects who underwent Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy within 6 months prior to screening, or corneal refractive surgery (e.g., LASIK) within 12 months prior to screening.
* Subjects with known allergy to fluorescein, multiple drug allergies, or severe allergic diseases.
* Subjects with other poorly controlled clinical conditions, such as severe chronic infection, severe cardiopulmonary disease, uncontrolled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 150 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 100 mmHg despite antihypertensive treatment), uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, malignant tumors, etc.
* Female subjects with a positive pregnancy test or lactating subjects; female subjects of childbearing potential or male subjects whose partners are of childbearing potential who are unwilling to use contraception during the study and for 1 month after the last dose of study medication.
* Subjects who participated in any other clinical trial of investigational drugs or devices within 30 days prior to screening.
* Any other conditions deemed by the investigator to make the subject ineligible for enrollment (e.g., depression, etc.).

Where it's running

  • The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University
    Xiamen, China, China
    Recruiting

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

  • See if TRYPTYR 0.003% helps dry eye symptoms and signs

    This study tests whether acoltremon 0.003% can improve symptoms and eye findings in adults with dry eye disease.

    Recruiting at 2 sites Scott & Christie and Associates, PC · Scottsdale, Arizona and 1 other locations · NCT07926594

  • BL1107 dosing for drying eye redness: finding the lowest effective amount

    This trial tests whether different doses of BL1107 can fully reduce conjunctival redness in people with dry eye disease, while keeping participants unaware of the dose they receive.

    Recruiting Phase 2 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated · Newport Beach, California · NCT07778888

  • Tear iron levels and dry eye severity

    This project will see if the amount of iron in tears is linked to how severe someone's dry eye is by comparing people with dry eye to healthy volunteers.

    Recruiting Shanghai Changzheng Hospital · Shanghai · NCT07363824

  • Vitamin A–based eye ointment for dry, burning, or irritated eyes

    This trial will try a vitamin A–based ointment called Vit-A-Vision in adults with dry eye symptoms to see if it improves comfort and tear stability.

    Recruiting OmniVision GmbH · Cologne · NCT06596733

  • Exploring dry eye disease patterns after cataract surgery

    This study looks at how cataract surgery affects dry eye symptoms in patients aged 50 to 90 and tests if using artificial tears helps improve their comfort over time.

    Recruiting Lithuanian University of Health Sciences · Kaunas · NCT06298890

  • Comparing BUFY02 and TRB02 eye drops for dry eye disease

    This test will see if BUFY02 eye drops work as well as TRB02 eye drops to improve signs and symptoms for adults with dry eye disease when used daily for three months.

    Recruiting at 6 sites TRB Chemedica International SA · Graz and 5 other locations · NCT05865457

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.