Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vincent Yeung, Nikolay Boychev, Wissam Farhat, Dimitrios P. Ntentakis, Audrey E. K. Hutcheon, Amy E. Ross, Joseph B. Ciolino
Summary: Communication between cells and the microenvironment is crucial in physiological and pathological processes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a significant role in cell signaling and therapeutic effects. Understanding the role of corneal stromal cells and EVs in corneal fibrosis/scarring is important for the treatment of visual impairments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hon Shing Ong, Andri K. Riau, Gary Hin-Fai Yam, Nur Zahirah Binte M. Yusoff, Evelina J. Y. Han, Tze-Wei Goh, Ruenn Chai Lai, Sai Kiang Lim, Jodhbir S. Mehta
Summary: This study investigated the therapeutic effects of MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-exo) on corneal injury in a rat model. The results showed that MSC-exo treatment promoted wound closure, reduced corneal haze, attenuated vascularization and fibrosis, and modulated the immune response towards a regenerative and anti-inflammatory phenotype. These findings suggest that topical application of MSC-exo could be a potential therapeutic approach for corneal scarring.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura E. Downie, Xinyuan Zhang, Mengliang Wu, Senuri Karunaratne, Joon Keit Loi, Kirthana Senthil, Sana Arshad, Kirstie Bertram, Anthony L. Cunningham, Nicole Carnt, Scott N. Mueller, Holly R. Chinnery
Summary: The healthy human cornea contains immune cells that are commonly presumed to be dendritic cells, but the researchers found that many of these immune cells are actually lymphocytes. These corneal immune cells exhibit rapid, persistent motility and interact with other cells. The behavior of these immune cells can be altered in response to acute and chronic inflammatory stimuli, which can be modulated by therapeutic intervention.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Gink N. Yang, Philippe Ke Roberts, Jesse Gardner-Russell, Manisha H. Shah, Terry A. Couper, Zhuoting Zhu, Graeme A. Pollock, Gregory J. Dusting, Mark Daniell
Summary: Corneal diseases, particularly corneal scarring, are a major cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. They primarily affect younger individuals and disproportionately impact those in poorer and remote areas. Traditional medical strategies are ineffective in preventing scarring, and corneal transplantation faces numerous challenges. However, emerging therapeutic options such as gene therapy, protein therapy, and cell therapy offer promising solutions. This article summarizes recent preclinical and clinical studies on these emerging therapies, highlighting their potential to prevent the development of corneal scarring. (c) 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.
PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Alejandra Consejo, Arwa Fathy, Bernardo T. Lopes, Renato Ambrosio Jr, Ahmed Abass
Summary: The study demonstrates that estimating human corneal asphericity using conic and biconic models from topography or tomography data is affected by the eyes’ natural tilt. However, the apical radii of the cornea are less affected by this tilt.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adrian Guerrero-Moreno, Hong Liang, Nathan Moreau, Jade Luzu, Ghislaine Rabut, Stephane Melik Parsadaniantz, Antoine Labbe, Christophe Baudouin, Annabelle Reaux-Le Goazigo
Summary: The study compared corneal nerve abnormalities in patients with neuropathic corneal pain secondary to MGD or AIDE. MGD-related NCP was associated with more nerve abnormalities, while AIDE-related NCP showed increased nerve tortuosity and neuromas. IVCM can be useful in detecting corneal nerve changes in NCP patients.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mohit Parekh, Hefin Rhys, Tiago Ramos, Stefano Ferrari, Sajjad Ahmad
Summary: This study investigated the effects of extracellular vesicles (EVs) on corneal endothelial cells and found that cellular uptake of EVs led to decreased proliferation, increased apoptosis, and larger cell size. Poor wound healing response was also observed in both in vitro and ex vivo experiments.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph B. Lin, Xiaolei Shen, Charles W. Pfeifer, Fion Shiau, Andrea Santeford, Philip A. Ruzycki, Brian S. Clark, Qin Liu, Andrew J. W. Huang, Rajendra S. Apte
Summary: The study used single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze the transcriptional states of the mouse corneal epithelium in various conditions. They identified transcriptional changes in dry eye disease and proposed a classification system for markers of limbal stem cells. This study provides a framework and atlas for future research on ocular surface stem cells.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Ophthalmology
Neal E. Mecum, Rachel Russell, Jun Lee, Cara Sullivan, Ian D. Meng
Summary: The study investigated the role of Nav1.8 expressing corneal afferent neurons in ongoing pain in dry eye induced by lacrimal gland excision. Results showed that inhibition of these neurons could be a potential strategy for treating ongoing dry eye-induced pain.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ophthalmology
Rajnish Kumar, Nishant R. Sinha, Rajiv R. Mohan
Summary: The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye with refraction and barrier functions, and corneal diseases are the leading cause of vision impairment globally. Conventional drugs and corneal transplant surgery are limited in treating severe corneal pathologies. Therefore, there is a high desire to develop nonsurgical methods, such as gene therapy, to cure corneal disorders and restore vision.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Li-Ying Huang, Chun-Chi Chiang, You-Ling Li, Hung-Yin Lai, Yi-Ching Hsieh, Ying-Hsuen Wu, Yi-Yu Tsai
Summary: Corneal adverse events can occur after COVID-19 vaccination, including acute corneal graft rejection, herpes zoster ophthalmicus, and herpes simplex keratitis. Timely treatment with steroids or antiviral agents leads to mild events and good visual outcomes in most cases.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Kyoung-Woo Kim, Hyun-Ju Lee, Hyeon-Ji Kim, Mee-Kum Kim
Summary: The study showed that mature APCs in different corneal transplantation models lead to changes in T-cell subsets, particularly allosensitization results in T-cell activation in the ocular surface, while sterile inflammation only causes a brief and non-specific T-cell activation in the ocular surface.
Article
Ophthalmology
Hsin-Yu Liu, Hsiao Sang Chu, Wei-Li Chen, I-Jong Wang, Fung-Rong Hu
Summary: This study evaluated the utility rate, indication, outcome, and cost of refrigeration and glycerol cryopreservation for storing anterior corneal buttons during endothelial keratoplasty. The results showed that cryopreservation can safely extend the utility of anterior corneal buttons, reducing wastage and being cost-effective.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Remya Ammassam Veettil, Daniela C. Marcano, Xiaoyong Yuan, Mahira Zaheer, Aparna Adumbumkulath, Richard Lee, Lucas C. Isenhart, Nicole Soriano, Kirti Mhatre, Robiya Joseph, Sendurai A. Mani, Crystal S. Shin, Ghanashyam Acharya
Summary: The study introduces a new polymer wafer based on dextran sulfate for the treatment of corneal injuries, demonstrating its effectiveness in modulating corneal inflammation and fibrosis and inhibiting corneal scarring and opacification in corneal abrasion and alkali-induced ocular burn models.
Article
Ophthalmology
R. Kourukmas, M. Roth, G. Geerling
Summary: An algorithm was developed to detect and count corneal staining, and compared with human graders of varying clinical experience. The software-assisted grading showed higher consistency than human graders, making it preferable for re-evaluating patients, such as in clinical trials.
GRAEFES ARCHIVE FOR CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY
(2022)