It looks like Bascom Palmer could be working on a topical delivery mechanism for MANF to the eye (for RP, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma). The patent application recently filed by Rong Wen has been amended to include new claims of MANF administration using eye drops. This is significant because it would greatly reduce complication of MANF delivery (does away with an eye injection). Also, the fact that Bascom is making these claims would suggest that they have already run experiments and gotten good data (since when patenting something you already have to be in possession of the "claim" ).

Go here: http://portal.uspto.gov/pair/PublicPair
Select "Publication Number" and put in 20140243264
Go to tab "image file wrapper" and open the document "Claims" from 9-26-2014
Go to page 6 of the document and start reading the new claims at number 48...