Ranibizumab Treatment for PED Secondary to nAMD Ozurdex in Neovascular AMD as Adjunct to Ranibizumab: OARA Study Real-Life Study in DME Treated With Dexamethasone Implant: The Reldex Study Aqueous Humor Cytokine Levels as Biomarkers of DME Disease Severity Baseline Choroidal Thickness for Predicting Treatment Outcomes in CRVO Ranibizumab for ME After BRVO: One Injection vs. Three Monthly Injections Serum VEGF After Bevacizumab or Ranibizumab Treatment for ROP Plasmin Enzyme-assisted Vitrectomy in a Pediatric Population Retinal & Choroidal Thickness on SS-OCT After Surgery for Idiopathic Macular Hole Suprachoroidal Buckling for RRD Secondary to Peripheral Retinal Breaks |
RetroSense Signs License With UC San Diego RetroSense Therapeutics signed a worldwide license with the University of California, San Diego, to secure exclusive rights to develop red activatable channelrhodopsin (ReaChR), a next-generation optogene developed by the late Nobel laureate Roger Tsien, PhD. The product builds on the company’s optogenetics development programs, which include proprietary research conducted by Dr. Zhuo-Hua Pan and others at Wayne State University’s Kresge Eye Institute and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Dr. Richard Masland’s team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. RetroSense is developing lead product RST-001 as a gene therapy application of optogenetics, designed to restore vision in individuals who are blind as a result of retinitis pigmentosa and advanced dry age-related macular degeneration. Read more. Source: RetroSense Therapeutics LLC, September 2016 Eye Test May Detect Parkinson’s Before Symptoms Appear A new noninvasive eye test could detect Parkinson’s disease before symptom onset, according to research in rats led by scientists at University College London Institute of Ophthalmology. Researchers discovered a new way to observe changes in the retina in advance of brain changes and symptoms onset caused by the Parkinson’s. Using ophthalmic instruments routinely used in eye clinics, the scientists used a new imaging technique to observe retinal changes at an early stage. This method, published in Acta Neuropathologica Communications, would enable earlier diagnosis of Parkinson’s and monitoring of patient response to treatment. The technique—for which one of the researchers holds the patent—has been tested in humans for glaucoma, and trials are expected to start for Alzheimer’s. Following the observation of retinal changes in the experimental model, researchers treated animals with a newly formulated version of the anti-diabetic drug Rosiglitazone, which helps to protect nerve cells. After using the drug, evidence of reduced retina cell death, as well as a protective effect on the brain, was observed, suggesting the drug could have potential as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Read More. Source: University College London, August 2016 Study Finds Sight Loss From DR Rising Globally Diabetes has become a leading cause of vision loss around the world over the last 20 years, according to an article published Aug. 23 in Diabetes Care by a global consortium led by researchers at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Optometry and the Vision and Eye Care Unit at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK. In 2010, one in every 39 blind people had lost their vision from diabetic retinopathy, which increased 27 percent over 1990. Of those individuals with moderate or severe vision impairment, one in 52 had vision loss attributed to diabetes—a 64-percent spike over 1990. Poor control of glucose levels and lack of access to eye health services in many parts of the world are said to contribute to the increase, according to the researchers. Read more. Source: Nova Southeastern University, August 2016 PREDIMED Study: DR Risk Drops With Diet High in Marine PUFAs A post hoc analysis from the PREDIMED trial revealed that eating at least two weekly servings of oily fish, rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), can help middle-aged and older people with type 2 diabetes reduce their risk for diabetic retinopathy. After adjusting for various factors, researchers found that participants 55 years or older who consumed at least 500 mg/day of omega-3 PUFAs showed a 48 percent reduced risk for DR incidence compared with those who consumed less than 500 mg/day (hazard ratio, 0.52; p=.001). Read more. Source: Medscape Medical News, August 2016 D-Eye Digital Ophthalmoscope Expands iPhone Compatibility D-Eye, a developer of smartphone-based retinal screening, expanded its compatibility with iPhones to include the SE, 6+ and 6S+, along with the 5, 5S, 6 and 6S. The company also unveiled a new bumper design incorporating a latch feature that will improve ease of use and efficiency. Invented by Italian ophthalmologist Dr. Andrea Russo, the D-Eye Retinal Imaging System lens, which aims to eliminate corneal glare, attaches to iPhones via a customized, quick-release magnetic bumper that aligns the device’s lens with the smartphone’s camera and LED light source to capture images and videos of the posterior segment. Read more. Source: D-Eye, August 2016 Topical Antibiotics and Intravitreal Injections Topical antibiotics were not shown to prevent endophthalmitis when used in conjunction with intravitreous injections, although povidone-iodine may help lower endophthalmitis risk, according to results from the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network, as published in the Aug. 11 online edition of JAMA Ophthalmology. One of the study’s authors, Adam R. Glassman, executive director of Jaeb Center for Health Research, wrote in an email to Reuters Health that clinicians should seriously consider not using topical antibiotics to try to prevent endophthalmitis in most circumstances before or after eye injections. Among injections performed with povidone-iodine, endophthalmitis developed in six cases receiving topical antibiotics (0.05 percent of 11,565 injections), compared with three cases that didn’t receive topical antibiotics (0.02 percent of 17,208 injections) (p=0.17). Read more Source: Reuters Health, August 2016 Quantel Medical Releases Easyret Photocoagulator Laser Quantel Medical releases the Easyret fully integrated, 577-nm yellow photocoagulator for macular and peripheral retinal pathologies. The device has a broad range of settings for treatment of pathologies, such as diabetic retinopathy, macular edema and central serous chorioretinopathy. In addition to SingleSpot treatment mode, the device features Multispot mode for a pattern of simultaneous targets, and the subthreshold Micropulse (MicroPulse is a trademark of Iridex) mode, enabling customization of a train of short pulses to precisely manage the thermal effect on targeted tissues. ASRS & SAGE Publishing Launch Journal The American Society of Retina Specialists and SAGE Publishing launched the Journal of VitreoRetinal Diseases (JVRD), which will cover retina research and exclusively publish original basic, translational and clinical research papers across the spectrum of vitreoretinal diseases. Submissions will include full-length and brief research articles, clinical trials, case series, review articles (invited and submitted), correspondence, interviews and other features. The articles will be rigorously peer-reviewed, and submissions are welcome from across the global retina community. The new print and online peer-reviewed journal will publish its first articles early in 2017. Read more. Source: American Society of Retina Specialists, August 2016 Campaign Raises Funds for Retinal Degenerative Disease Research Individuals with retinal degenerative diseases, celebrities and others are joining the Foundation Fighting Blindness to launch the #HowEyeSeeIt campaign, a social media initiative aimed at elevating awareness of and accelerating research funding for retinal degenerative diseases. The Foundation has paired individuals who are affected by a retinal degenerative disease with celebrities, including Glee's Harry Shum Jr., Diane Guerrero of Orange is the New Black and Justin Baldoni of Jane the Virgin, to demonstrate the difficulty in performing everyday tasks with vision impairment or loss. Other supporters include NASCAR drivers Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., former New York Governor David Patterson and basketball great Phil Ford. The campaign will conclude on World Sight Day on Oct. 13. Read more. Source: Foundation Fighting Blindness, August 2016 Oculis Completes Series A Financing Oculis closed a Series A financing round, led by Brunnur Ventures and Silfurberg. The new capital will support continued development of the company's patented, solubilizing nanoparticle drug delivery platform and drug candidates, including topical eye drops for treatment of diabetic macular edema. The SNP technology enables treatment of retinal diseases with topically administered eye drops, as has been demonstrated in four clinical trials. It enhances solubility of lipophilic drugs and provides sustained release over several hours compared with a few minutes as seen with conventional eye drop technologies. In addition, Oculis is seeking to get DexNP approved as a treatment for diabetic macular edema in the United States and Europe. Read more. Source: Oculis, August 2016 |
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