Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Xinyu Zhao, Lihui Meng, Youxin Chen
Summary: A systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different Lucentis treatment regimens for nAMD. Lucentis 0.5 mg (T&E) showed the most effectiveness in improving visual outcomes, while the addition of topical NSAIDs provided additional efficacy in CRT reduction and visual improvement. All regimens demonstrated acceptable risks of severe ocular and cardiocerebral vascular complications.
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Lawrence J. Rizzolo, Igor O. Nasonkin, Ron A. Adelman
Summary: This article discusses the potential of retinal pigment epithelium cells in improving visual impairment, the challenges in applying this tissue-replacement therapy, and the recent progress in developing retinal therapies using biomaterials.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Siegfried Karl Wagner, Fintan Hughes, Mario Cortina-Borja, Nikolas Pontikos, Robbert Struyven, Xiaoxuan Liu, Hugh Montgomery, Daniel C. Alexander, Eric Topol, Steffen Erhard Petersen, Konstantinos Balaskas, Jack Hindley, Axel Petzold, Jugnoo S. Rahi, Alastair K. Denniston, Pearse A. Keane
Summary: Retinal signatures of systemic disease are being revealed through high-resolution ophthalmic imaging and advanced modelling. However, progress is limited due to the lack of large labelled datasets. This study aims to link longitudinal multimodal retinal imaging with systemic disease data to identify hidden retinal signatures for earlier detection and risk management of life-threatening conditions.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nishanthan Ramachandran, Ole Schmiedel, Ehsan Vaghefi, Sophie Hill, Graham Wilson, David Squirrell
Summary: The study evaluated the prevalence of incidental non-diabetic ocular comorbidities detected during diabetic retinopathy screening, finding that conditions such as hypertensive retinopathy, drusen, neovascular age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts are commonly identified during screenings. The data also showed that the prevalence of certain ocular conditions increases with age, highlighting the importance of detecting and managing these comorbidities in diabetic patients.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Qiaoyun Gong, Luyao Ye, Xia Wu, Lin Xue, Hao Zhou, Ying Fan, Xun Xu, Weijun Wang, Tianwei Qian
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitrectomy combined with lens capsule flap transplantation in the treatment of high myopia macular hole retinal detachment. The study will include 54 patients and follow-up will be conducted to evaluate the outcomes of the surgery.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Nicholas E. Stone, Andrew P. Voigt, Robert F. Mullins, Todd Sulchek, Budd A. Tucker
Summary: Autologous photoreceptor cell replacement is a promising approach for treating inherited retinal degenerative blindness, but enrichment of photoreceptor cells and correction of disease-causing genetic mutations are crucial. While advanced retinal differentiation protocols can generate various cell types, most of them are unnecessary and may hinder successful transplantation.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hui Huang, Jing Wang, Haoran Li, Ruxue Lei, Weiwen Zou, Qun Huang, Na Gao, Yanlin Zheng
Summary: This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in treating retinitis pigmentosa. 64 eligible patients will be randomly divided into two groups for a 48-session treatment over 3 months, with follow-up assessments at month 6/9. The primary outcome measures include visual field mean sensitivity and visual field mean deviation, while secondary outcomes include other visual indicators.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
In-Kyu Lee, Allison L. Ludwig, M. Joseph Phillips, Juhwan Lee, Ruosen Xie, Benjamin S. Sajdak, Lindsey D. Jager, Shaoqin Gong, David M. Gamm, Zhenqiang Ma
Summary: Polymeric scaffolds are being used in therapeutics for blinding disorders affecting the outer retina, with recent advances in engineering producing optimized structures for retinal pigment epithelium delivery. A new biodegradable scaffold patterned for high-density photoreceptor replacement has been developed, which may have applications in multicellular layers for outer retinal reconstruction and other tissues. This approach could also be useful for producing various micro- and nanoscale structures for multilayered cell delivery.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Joao Victor Rocha, Ana Patricia Marques, Antonio Filipe Macedo, Marta Afonso-Silva, Pedro Laires, Ana Sofia Almeida, Julieta Fernandes, Marisa Pardal, Rui Santana
Summary: In recent years, the number of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections and the number of patients treated have been increasing in the Portuguese National Health System. Proximity to healthcare, more access to ophthalmologists, and hospitals with higher organizational levels are associated with higher rates of anti-VEGF treatment. Improving access is crucial to reduce regional disparities and ensure optimal treatment frequency.
Review
Neurosciences
Jonathan R. Soucy, Erika A. Aguzzi, Julie Cho, Michael James Gilhooley, Casey Keuthan, Ziming Luo, Aboozar Monavarfeshani, Meher A. Saleem, Xue-Wei Wang, Juilette Wohlschlegel, Petr Baranov, Adriana Di Polo, Brad Fortune, Kimberly K. Gokoffski, Jeffrey L. Goldberg, William Guido, Alex L. Kolodkin, Carol A. Mason, Yvonne Ou, Thomas A. Reh, Ahmara G. Ross, Brian C. Samuels, Derek Welsbie, Donald J. Zack, Thomas V. Johnson
Summary: This article discusses the key questions and challenges in restoring vision through RGC repopulation and proposes a multidisciplinary approach to advance the field. The efforts of the RReSTORe Consortium provide a comprehensive roadmap for treating patients with optic neuropathies.
MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Earnest P. Chen, Michael Mills, Tara Gallagher, Andrew Polis, Sophie Blasberg, Peter Pham, Ronald C. Gentile, Tsontcho Ianchulev
Summary: This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Accustat (R) test in remote monitoring of visual function. The results show a high correlation between the Accustat test and the office Snellen test, indicating the potential utility of scalable remote monitoring of central retinal function via telehealth.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Wahiba Dhahri, Tamilla Sadikov Valdman, Dan Wilkinson, Elizabeth Pereira, Eylul Ceylan, Naaz Andharia, Beiping Qiang, Hassan Masoudpour, Fanny Wulkan, Elya Quesnel, Wenlei Jiang, Shunsuke Funakoshi, Amine Mazine, M. Juliana Gomez-Garcia, Neda Latifi, Yidi Jiang, Ella Huszti, Craig A. Simmons, Gordon Keller, Michael A. Laflamme
Summary: The study showed that culturing hPSC-CMs on PDMS-lined roller bottles and transplanting these cells into a guinea pig model of myocardial infarction resulted in better structural and functional outcomes compared to conventional immature hPSC-CM populations. The PDMS-matured hPSC-CMs exhibited increased cardiac gene expression and more mature properties in vitro, and the intracardiac grafts formed with these cells showed enhanced structure and alignment, better electromechanical integration, and improved contractile function. This study provides practical methods for the scaled generation of mature hPSC-CMs and highlights the importance of using more mature cardiomyocytes for cardiac regeneration.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ovidiu Samoila, Lacramioara Samoila
Summary: Stem cell transplantation plays a crucial role in eye reconstruction, with corneal reconstruction being clinically validated and standardized; however, research is limited and clinical success rates are lower in retinal stem cell reconstructions.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ignacio Alcalde, Cristina Sanchez-Fernandez, Carla Martin, Nagore De Pablo, Nahla Jemni-Damer, Gustavo V. Guinea, Jesus Merayo-Lloves, Susana Del Olmo-Aguado
Summary: The objective of this study is to analyze the current data from clinical trials using stem cells to treat human retinal diseases. Although there are currently no approved therapies based on stem cell transplantation for patients, the outcomes of many clinical trials show promising results in terms of implantation techniques and long-term safety. Quantifiable results related to visual function improvement are expected in the coming years.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ann Blandford, Sarah Abdi, Angela Aristidou, Josie Carmichael, Giulia Cappellaro, Rima Hussain, Konstantinos Balaskas
Summary: This qualitative study aims to explore the acceptability and barriers to the implementation of teleophthalmology and Artificial Intelligence Decision Support System models of care from the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals. The study will involve situated observations, semistructured interviews, and self-audiorecordings, with participants selected from hospital eye services and community optometry practices. The findings will be disseminated through academic journals and conferences.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Shirin Tavakoli, Otto Kalevi Kari, Tiina Turunen, Tatu Lajunen, Mechthild Schmitt, Julia Lehtinen, Fumitaka Tasaka, Petteri Parkkila, Joseph Ndika, Tapani Viitala, Harri Alenius, Arto Urtti, Astrid Subrizi
Summary: The vitreous humor presents a barrier to intravitreally injected nanoparticles. The study found that the vitreal mobility of nanoparticles is dependent on their charge, with anionic and neutral formulations showing better mobility compared to cationic particles. PEGylation increases the mobility of cationic and larger neutral formulations but has no effect on anionic and smaller neutral particles. Protein-specific factors are drivers of protein adsorption on nanoparticles in the vitreous, rather than formulation-specific factors.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Lise De Moor, Jasper Smet, Magalie Plovyt, Bieke Bekaert, Chris Vercruysse, Mahtab Asadian, Nathalie De Geyter, Sandra Van Vlierberghe, Peter Dubruel, Heidi Declercq
Summary: This study explored the potential and feasibility of using spheroids containing capillary-like networks as prevascularized units for integration into the entire bioprinted construct.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Zengping Liu, Tanja Ilmarinen, Gavin S. W. Tan, Heidi Hongisto, Edmund Y. M. Wong, Andrew S. H. Tsai, Sami Al-Nawaiseh, Graham E. Holder, Xinyi Su, Veluchamy Amutha Barathi, Heli Skottman, Boris Stanzel
Summary: The study confirmed the safety and efficacy of transplanting human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells into the macula area using an immunosuppressed non-human primate model, showing promising translational implications for future clinical trials.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2021)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Taina Viheriala, Heidi Hongisto, Juhana Sorvari, Heli Skottman, Soile Nymark, Tanja Ilmarinen
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Meri Vattulainen, Tanja Ilmarinen, Taina Viheriala, Vilma Jokinen, Heli Skottman
Summary: Functional limbal stem cells (LSCs) were successfully differentiated from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), showing similar marker expression and wound healing capacity to tissue-derived LSCs. Post-thaw hPSC-LSCs exhibited a robust response to the injury-associated signal mediator ATP and demonstrated higher wound healing capacity compared to tissue-derived LSCs.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2021)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Iina Korkka, Heli Skottman, Soile Nymark
Summary: Research shows that human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) has functional potassium (K+) channels and ion channels, which are essential for its therapeutic effectiveness.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Retraction
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Laura Hellinen, Heidi Hongisto, Eva Ramsay, Kai Kaarniranta, Kati-Sisko Vellonen, Heli Skottman, Marika Ruponen
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ingrid Amer Cid, Lenny Van Daele, Peter Dubruel, Kristiaan Neyts, Filip Strubbe
Summary: Understanding the adsorption of polymers onto particles is crucial for many technological and biomedical applications. This study investigates the use of single-particle electrophoresis to directly analyze the adsorption kinetics of cationic polymers onto anionic particles. The results show that this technique enables accurate measurement and comparison of the kinetics of polymer adsorption on the single-particle level.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Laura Hellinen, Heidi Hongisto, Eva Ramsay, Kai Kaarniranta, Kati-Sisko Vellonen, Heli Skottman, Marika Ruponen
Summary: The retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell monolayer plays a crucial role in ocular pharmacokinetics. We compared the barrier properties of different RPE cell models and found that hESC-RPE cells effectively restricted drug permeation, making them valuable tools in ocular drug discovery.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manon Minsart, Nicolas Deroose, Laurens Parmentier, Sandra Van Vlierberghe, Arn Mignon, Peter Dubruel
Summary: This research focuses on the development of hydrogel-based wound dressings with high mechanical strength and exudate absorption capacities. The synthesized AUP materials show high gel fractions and strong swelling degrees, as well as tunable mechanical properties. They exhibit higher swelling degrees and mechanical resistance compared to commercial dressings. The materials also show excellent biocompatibility and have the potential to compete with commercially available dressings.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Nathan Carpentier, Luca Urbani, Peter Dubruel, Sandra Van Vlierberghe
Summary: Drug induced liver injury (DILI) is a major reason for drug withdrawal during drug development. Currently, there is a lack of reliable in vitro models that can mimic the liver environment and function. This review discusses different approaches for the development of liver models in tissue engineering.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Maija Kauppila, Anni Moro, Juan Jose Valle-Delgado, Teemu Ihalainen, Lassi Sukki, Paula Puistola, Pasi Kallio, Tanja Ilmarinen, Monika Osterberg, Heli Skottman
Summary: A functional limbal epithelial stem cells (LSC) niche is crucial for the renewal of corneal epithelium and good vision. However, the structure and mechanical properties of the niche and their influence on LSC regulation are not well understood. This study investigates the effect of mechanical and architectural elements of the niche on human pluripotent derived LSCs (hPSC-LSC) phenotype and growth in vitro. The results show that the mechanical response and substrate preference of the cells depend on their developmental stage, and that cells may carry a mechanical memory from previous culture matrix.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Lenny Van Daele, Babs van de Voorde, Robin Colenbier, Lobke De Vos, Laurens Parmentier, Louis Van der Meeren, Andre Skirtach, Ruslan I. Dmitriev, Peter Dubruel, Sandra Van Vlierberghe
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Poly(alkylene terephthalate)s (PATs) with longer alkyl chain lengths show potential for improving compliance in vascular graft materials. This study investigated the effects of polymer molar mass and alkyl chain length on the surface properties of spin-coated PAT films, as well as endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation. The results showed that higher molar mass and longer alkyl chain lengths increased surface roughness, while no significant trend was observed for wettability. All investigated PATs were non-cytotoxic and supported endothelial cell adhesion and growth, with some PATs even promoting angiogenic maturation.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Jasper Delaey, Lobke De Vos, Carina Koppen, Peter Dubruel, Sandra Van Vlierberghe, Bert Van den Bogerd
Summary: Currently, the treatment of corneal diseases caused by damage to the corneal endothelium requires a donor cornea. Researchers are investigating alternative approaches, such as tissue engineered scaffolds, to overcome the limited availability of donor tissue. This review provides an overview of the characteristics of different materials and discusses their suitability as scaffolds for corneal endothelial cells. It also proposes a consistent approach for future research in membrane characterization to enable a scientific comparison of different materials and membranes.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Lin-Lin Luo, Jie Xu, Bing-Qiao Wang, Chen Chen, Xi Chen, Qiu-Mei Hu, Yu-Qiu Wang, Wan-Yun Zhang, Wan-Xiang Jiang, Xin-Ting Li, Hu Zhou, Xiao Xiao, Kai Zhao, Sen Lin
Summary: A novel AAV serotype, AAVYC5, introduced in this study, showed more efficient transduction into multiple retinal layers compared to AAV2, and enabled successful delivery of anti-angiogenic molecules in mice and non-human primates.
