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» Researchers restore visual function and preserve photoreceptors in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) model ....
A collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Florida and the University of California (San Francisco and San Diego) have successfully reported the restoration of visual function in an animal model of dominant RP. The research is the first of its kind to employ an anti-apoptotic gene therapy approach focused on over-expressing "BiP" a protein chaperone known to be involved in cellular stress signalling.
Date Posted: 02/06/2010
» Minimum inhibitory concentrations of standard and novel drugs for bacterial keratitis....
New research from the Department of Ophthalmology and Medical Microbiology at Royal Liverpool University Hospital has reported on the susceptibility of 722 bacterial isolates from patients who presented with suppurative keratitis. The data revealed that Meropenem, a newer anti-microbial potentially suitable for ophthalmic use, may represent the best choice for empiric monotherapy in bacterial keratitis.
Date Posted: 04/05/2010
» Retinal detachment-induced cell death may be inhibited by small peptides ....
Researchers from the Kellogg Eye Centre at the University of Michigan have reported on the use of a novel peptide to reduce the level of photoreceptor cell death associated with retinal detachment. The findings have the potential to extend photoreceptor cell survival not only in cases of retinal detachment but additionally in cases involving photoreceptor cell loss such as AMD and retinitis pigmentosa.
Date Posted: 16/04/2010
» Systemic delivery of stem cells rescue photoreceptors in model of retinitis pigmentosa....
Researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland have demonstrated that a tail vein injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the Royal College of Surgeon rat results in a preservation of rod and cone photoreceptors.
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» Targeting of pericyte cells may provide a new target for diabetic retinopathy....
A Harvard-led research team have reported an entirely novel target in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. The research group, led by Dr. George King at the Harvard Medical School, showed that high levels of glucose were capable of quenching a specific growth factor that
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» New links uncovered between childhood blindness and the AHI1 gene....
An international research consortium led by a team at the University of California, San Diego have shown that mutations in AHI1 (Abelson helper integration site-1 gene) are associated with abnormal photoreceptor structure and an abnormal distribution of opsin in the photoreceptor
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» Saving cone photoreceptors in a common form of retinitis pigmentosa paves the way for clinical studies....
Researchers at the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale in Paris have reported the successful retention of central vision in an animal model of a common form of retinitis pigmentosa. The approach, based on maintaining the cone photoreceptors, has shown both preservation of the cone cell population and the corresponding ERG.
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» Paradigm shift in AMD biology may lead to new class of anti-angiogenics....
A new biomarker, "CCR3", has been found to associate specifically with choroidal neovascularisation but not with normal retinal vasculature in research reported from the University of Kentucky. The finding marks a significant development in the understanding of AMD and will likely lead to the development of both diagnostic tools for early disease
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» Stem cell production of functional RPE cells marks a major milestone in therapeutic development....
One of the biggest challenges in converting the promise of stem cell therapies into clinical use is to define the elixir that directs the embryonic stem cell to produce the desired fully differentiated specialised cell type. After much tinkering and a little luck researchers at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centre in Jerusalem have now re
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» Shuffling the deck - genetic modifiers may impact ciliopathy disease outcomes in complex ways....
The gap between genotype and phenotype has been well documented in the medical research literature and many clinicians will have direct knowledge of siblings and family members having the "same" disease but very distinct pathologies
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
» Chinese root extract shows therapeutic potential in treatment of diabetic retinopathy....
A flavone derivative ("baicalensis"), extracted from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis flowers, has been shown to reduce vascular abnormality and ganglion cell loss in an animal model of diabetic retinopathy
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
» A new class of bio-markers for tracking anti-VEGF treatments....
A novel finding of phosphorylated (activated) VEGF in vitreous samples may present a new class of biomarkers for the treatment and management of AMD and other retinal disorders.
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
» VP of UK's Royal College of Ophthalmologists advises against off-label use of Avastin....
Commentary from the UK's Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCO) has advised against the off-label use of Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration.
Date Posted: 02/06/2010
» IVF assists couple in having a child unaffected by Stargardt disease....
Clinicians and researchers from New York's Columbia University have reported the delivery of a healthy baby girl following the first use of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis for the screening of at risk embryos for Stargardt's disease. The newborn's parents had sought genetic counselling and had been tested resulting in confirmation that the father carried 2 ABCA4 mutations while the mother carried 1 potentially pathogenic ABCA4 mutation.
Date Posted: 04/05/2010
» New topical drug for DME reports results from a Phase I/II clinical trial....
A multi-centre Phase I/II clinical trial has presented initial results for a new topical drug focused on the treatment of diabetic eye disease. The clinical research, reported by Dr. Peter Campochiaro and colleagues at the Wilmer Eye Institute, John Hopkins, showed that mecamylamine drops applied over a course of 1 to 16 weeks were well tolerated and showed no drug related safety problems.
Date Posted: 16/04/2010
» Publish or perish - insiders advice on how to avoid the rejection slip....
Recent analysis of 662 manuscripts submitted to Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (CEO) have identified the top 7 reasons why manuscript submissions fail to survive the editor's red pen. In an review published in CEO the most common reasons listed for rejection of a
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» Global estimates show that almost 16 million people may suffer retinal vein occlusion (RVO) ....
Pooled population studies from Europe, the US, Asia and Australia have shown that approximately 16 million people are estimated to be affected by retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The study by the International Eye Disease Consortium (IEDC) combined individual level data
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» Mind the gap - satisfaction with treatment differs between patients and doctors....
Recent research from McGill University and the University of Montreal, Canada has shown that objective measures of visual function following treatment do not necessarily agree with the patients' viewpoint
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness found to be associated with cognitive functioning.....
Researchers based at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital in the Netherlands have announced the first ever results reporting an association between the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and cognitive functioning. The research results showed that a better cognitive performance was significantly associated with a thicker RNFL.
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» Multi-centre Phase III clinical trial shows benefits of corticosteroid in reducing vision loss in ce....
A multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial designed to compare 1-mg and 4-mg doses of intravitreal triamcinoclone with standard care for treatment of vision loss associated with macular edema (secondary to perfused CRVO and branch retinal vein occlusion [BRVO]) has reported the benefits of the corticosteroid injections in reducing vision
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» Phase 1 dose escalation study on gene therapy treatment for LCA shows importance of early treatment....
A gene therapy treatment of 12 patients between the ages of 8-44 years suffering RPE65-associated Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) has been shown to improve vision in all participants. The report noted that "patients had at least a 2 log unit increase in pupillary light responses and an 8 year old child had nearly the same level of light sensiti
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» Treatment of retinitis pigmentosa with bevacizumab (Avastin)....
A new study by a research group at Bilim University, Istanbul, has reported positive results in a cohort of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients treated with bevacizumab (Avastin).
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
» Viral delivery particles may persist in the retina for up to 6 years....
Recent advances in retinal gene therapy, notably in three concurrent human trials addressing LCA (Leber's congenital amurosis), have focused significant attention on the wider potential to apply such technologies to other diseases, both within and beyond the field of ophthalmology.
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
» Regional retinal damage in Usher syndrome patients may guide treatment strategy....
A US study led by the Scheie Eye Institute in Pennsylvania has identified regions of normal and damaged retinal architecture in a cohort of USH1B (Usher syndrome type 1B) patients with MYO7A mutations.
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
» Lucentis (ranibizumab) plus laser treatment for DME raises bar for new therapies....
A double blind Phase III trial in 691 patients has reported that 0.5mg Lucentis plus prompt or deferred laser therapy had a significant improvement in BCVA score compared to laser therapy alone (9 vs. 3 letters, p<0.001). The randomized trial, supported by Allergan and Genentech, compared ranibizumab plus prompt or deferred laser with triamcinoclone plus prompt laser for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). As a result, Lucentis may become part of the standard of care for the treatment of DME and become incorporated into national treatment guidelines by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
Date Posted: 02/06/2010
» Diabetic macular edema company raises $72 million on NASDAQ....
Alimera Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:ALIM), headquartered in Georgia, Atlanta have raised $72.1 million through the sale of 6.6 million shares. The specialist ophthalmics company possesses a lead compound, "Iluvien" for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. The Iluvien product is a new intravitreal insert (3.5mm in length X 0.37mm in diameter) that may be surgically inserted with a 25 gauge needle after which it slowly releases a very low dose corticosteroid fluocinoclone acetonide directly into the vitreous for up to three years.
Date Posted: 04/05/2010
» First iPhone application for ophthalmic image management reaches market....
Topcon Medical Systems Inc. (Paramus, New Jersey) have launched a dedicated iPhone application providing a mobile version of the "EyeRoute Image Management" software. The new app became available on the Apple iTunes website on April 8th, 2010. Clinicians who use the EyeRoute software in their practice are now able to access images and reports securely from any 3GS compatible iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.
Date Posted: 16/04/2010
» Potentia Pharmaceuticals licenses complement pathway inhibitor for macular degeneration ....
Potentia Pharmaceuticals, a speciality biotechnology company focused on treatments for AMD, have announced a licensing and share purchase option agreement with Alcon, Inc (ACL:NYSE). The agreements provide a license from Potentia to Alcon Research Ltd for the development of
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» Novartis announces full takeover plans of Alcon ....
Novartis has proposed a full purchase of Alcon, Inc (ALC:NYSE) for a reported $39.3 billion bringing the total cash price of its Alcon acquisition to just under $50 billion (Novartis had previously bought a 25% stake in the company in April 2008 for $10.4 billion).
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» US medical insurance firm shows no difference between Avastin and Lucentis treatments....
A study comparing the use of bevacizumab (marketed as Avastin) and ranibizumab (marketed as Lucentis) has shown that the two "wet" AMD treatments are equally effective at halting vision loss. The study, conducted by Dr. Donald S. Fong of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» Roche / Genentech sign licensing and development deal to access drug delivery formulation for Lucent....
SurModics of Minnesota announced the completion of a License and Development Agreement with Roche / Genentech Inc for the use of SurModics' proprietary microparticulate drug delivery technology. The deal provides for Roche/Genentech to exclusively develop and commercilaize a sustained drug delivery formulation of Lucentis (ranibizumab).
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» Gene Signal's GS-101 results show safe and effective inhibition of blood vessel growth....
Gene Signal [www.genesignal.com] based in Lausanne, Switzerland, have reported interim results of a randomized Phase II clinical study on their lead drug candidate, GS-101. The drug, an antisense oligonucleotide targeting a component of the VEGF pathway, is being used to treat corneal graft associated neovascularisation.
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» New handheld imaging device finds early signs of retinopathy in premature infants....
Researchers based at Duke University Medical Centre, North Carolina have developed a new technology using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to produce a three-dimensional picture of the back of the eye. The device appears capable of finding early signs of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and may radically alter the way clinicia
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» French and US companies combine efforts on retinal vein occlusion-induced macular edema....
Fovea Pharmaceuticals (Paris, France) and Dyax Corporation (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA) have announced the execution of an exclusive license agreement for the development and commercialisation of a recombinant small protein for therapeutic application to retinal diseases.
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
» Paloma Pharmaceuticals announces a ....
Paloma Pharmaceuticals have announced positive results with a small molecule inhibitor of the P13K/Akt/mTOR pathway implicated in a wide variety of biological responses.
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
» Quark Pharmaceuticals presents results with siRNA for treatment of DMA and wet AMD....
Quark Pharmaceuticals, based in Freemont California, have announced preliminary results of a study using a chemically modified siRNA to down regulate a gene known as "RTP801", identified through a gene discovery programme at the company's research facility.
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
» HIV protease inhibitors may find use in treatment of retinal degeneration....
Protease inhibitors, routinely used in the treatment of HIV infection may soon provide neuro- protection against cell death in the retina. Research, conducted at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard Medical School, has shown that there may be an opportunity to slow the loss of photoreceptor cells in disorders characterised by apoptotic cell death. The research findings obtained with clinically approved drugs may have significant implications for the treatment of common ocular diseases including age related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
Date Posted: 02/06/2010
» Stem cells may be used to ferry therapeutics to diseased retina....
Researchers at Imperial College London have shown that stem cells may be used as a delivery vehicle for therapeutics designed to treat retinal degenerations. The novel findings, reported in the journal Molecular Vision (15:962-973), have demonstrated that embryonic stem cells engineered to secrete a neuroprotectant provide a beneficial effect for at least three months after injection.
Date Posted: 04/05/2010
» US research illuminates mystery of cone death in retinitis pigmentosa....
Research conducted at Harvard Medical School has provided a fresh perspective on why healthy cells die in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This long-standing puzzle may now be resolved through an improved understanding of how cones receive nutrition within the retina. A comprehensive series of experiments have shown that disturbance of an insulin-associated pathway in cone photoreceptor cells can lead to their un-timely death. The finding is of major significance due to the potential to target this pathway and thereby devise a treatment strategy that could benefit an estimated 1.5 million people who lose their sight annually from RP.
Date Posted: 16/04/2010
» Treating colour blindness with gene therapy shifts long held beliefs.....
New research has demonstrated that colour blindness may be capable of rescue by a simple sub-retinal injection of the genetic sequence for the missing photopigment. A research team, based at the University of Washington, have comprehensively shown that animals, previously
Date Posted: 04/03/2010
» Mother Nature never fails to impress - nuclear architecture within the retina....
A remarkable paper published in the prestigious journal Cell is set to revise long held assumptions on how genes may be organised within the nucleus of cells. A collaborative research team comprising German, UK and Canadian scientists have shown for the first time that the organisation of chromosomes within mouse rod photoreceptor cells is not onl
Date Posted: 04/11/2009
» Ancient cells keep modern humans ticking over....
New research from a team of neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins have shown how recently discovered light sensors in the eye capture light and communicate with the brain. These "new" type of sensors appear to have more in common with very ancient life forms on Earth and research into their biology may soon provide fascinating information on mood chang
Date Posted: 10/09/2009
Dear EURETINA Members,
A very warm welcome to the July 2010 edition of the web-based digital magazine, "EURETINA Brief"©.
EURETINA are delighted to continue our delivery of up to date summary briefs on a range of topics of interest to retinal specialists across Europe. This resource is designed to accommodate the very busy schedules of all our members by providing them with a short overview of some new developments in our field over the last month.
In this issue you will notice the incorporation of a feedback section where you can comment on any of the news items or articles under discussion. Previous articles and issues can be found in the archive section [link to Archive]
The current issue highlights a number of recent developments including new research on the development of three dimensional retinal tissue constructs, visual impairment costs and its economic burden in Japan and further coverage on the design of a US clinical trial evaluating the use of Lucentis plus laser for the treatment of diabetic macular edema.
Finally, our feature bio-ophthalmology article this month reports on environmental factors which have long been known to interact on an individual's genes. The medical literature is replete with case studies of twins and siblings that share either all or half of their genome but often suffer very distinct medical conditions. One of the reasons behind such phenomena is a differential influence of diverse environmental factors, ranging from different micro-environments within the womb to diet, lifestyle and geography. Research within a population of glaucoma patients has revealed a correlation between the extent of visual field loss and a patient's postcode. As remarkable as it may sound, an analysis of the details shows that such a finding is not only predictable but also to be expected across the globe.
As always, increased interaction by you with the EURETINA web community serves to expand your professional network and keep you abreast of the latest initiatives in your field. Our hope is that such cross-fertilisation in an active web-based platform will lead to increased collaborative opportunities and ultimately to improved patient care. We look forward to hearing from you.
Dr. Gearóid Tuohy, EURETINA