Week in review: Disparity drivers, fish dinners, promise in the pipeline

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

What drives racial disparities in glaucoma progression? Intriguing answers are emerging from the Primary Open-Angle African American Glaucoma Genetics study, led by University of Pennsylvania’s Joan O’Brien, MD. Her team’s efforts to upend gaps in glaucoma knowledge are profiled this month in Penn Medicine’s magazine. Penn Today

A healthy diet may lower the risk of AMD, according to a meta-analysis of 18 high-quality studies. Go wild on vegetables rich in carotenoids and fatty fish containing omega‐3s—but steer clear of vegetable oils, red/processed meats and animal fats containing omega‐6s, researchers say. Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology

… But if dietary changes aren’t enough, don’t panic. A new retinal prosthesis has restored vision to monkeys with AMD and will soon be tested in humans. The photoelectric dye‐coupled polyethylene film (shown above) mimics phototransduction by converting light to electric potentials, according to a paper in Artificial Organs. The group has filed plans to test the prosthesis in people with retinitis pigmentosa. Cision PR Newswire

A South Oakland startup says their experimental drug, ST266, can curb damage from traumatic optic neuropathy. A report in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science shows how the nasal spray increased the survival of retinal ganglion cells and prevented myelin damage in mice with optic nerve injury. But don’t hold your breath – the drug is reportedly at least 3 years away from market. Noveome Biotherapeutics

The FDA has cleared Oyster Point Pharma’s investigational new drug application for OC-01, a nasal spray intended to stimulate natural tear film production in people with dry eye disease. The company recently wrapped up a phase 2 trial of a related nasal spray, OC-02, which received IND clearance in October 2017. Both drugs stimulate the trigeminal parasympathetic pathway, which is conveniently accessible through the nose. Oyster Point Pharma