Understanding Mustard Vesicants Distribution and Toxicity in the Eye Using In Vivo and In Silico Models

This research investigates how mustard vesicants—particularly sulfur mustard—distribute within the eye and cause tissue damage. Mustard gas is a historically significant chemical warfare agent and remains a potential threat in warfare and terrorism, making the development of effective medical countermeasures a high global priority.

The eye is especially vulnerable to mustard gas, often sustaining severe, biphasic injuries that can result in long-term vision impairment or blindness. However, the dose-, time-, and tissue-specific mechanisms underlying ocular toxicity—particularly corneal injury and repair—remain poorly understood, especially in mass-casualty scenarios. This project addresses these gaps by integrating experimental and computational approaches.

This work will combine in vivo studies with an advanced in silico rabbit ocular model to simulate how mustard gas and related agents penetrate the eye at different concentrations and exposure durations. This synergistic approach enables more efficient, cost-effective evaluation of exposure scenarios that are difficult to study using animal models alone. The research also incorporates transcriptomic analyses to identify biochemical changes and signaling pathways involved in injury and repair. Together, these methods aim to clarify time- and tissue-dependent toxicity mechanisms and support the development of targeted countermeasures. The findings are expected to inform treatments for ocular chemical injuries and may ultimately be applied to predict toxicity and guide therapies for other organs, strengthening preparedness for chemical emergencies in civilian and military settings.