SEP 14, 2018
By Anni Griswold
Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Neuro-Ophthalmology/Orbit, Refractive Mgmt/Intervention
A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but perhaps you can apply an old drug to new targets. Amodiaquine, long-approved for the treatment of malaria, was shown in a recent PLoS ONE study to stall neovascularization in patients with diabetic retinopathy, wet AMD or other conditions. The drug could offer a safe, inexpensive option to anti-VEGF therapy for patients with these eye diseases. Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Serious chemical burns are no match for a new stem cell treatment, researchers reported this week in Stem Cells Translational Medicine. Rabbits with alkali eye burns showed promising signs of regeneration after injection with human amniotic membrane mesenchymal stem cells. The treatment appears to induce an anti-inflammatory, anti-scarring environment that promotes corneal wound healing, researchers say. Cision PRWeb
The National Eye Institute just funded a new tool—Bioluminescent Multi-Characteristic Opsin—that could offer fascinating insights into visual processing circuitry. The tool stimulates the nervous system while simultaneously tracking retinal neuron behavior. Researchers are currently using the tool to monitor the visual cortex during photoreceptor degeneration and subsequent visual restoration, but could adapt it for studies of epilepsy, pain and other neurological conditions. Image (above) courtesty of Nanoscope Technologies, LLC. EurekAlert!
Alcon has unveiled a suite of UV-absorbing IOLs, including multifocal, multifocal toric and pre-loaded monofocal options. “The introduction of the AcrySof UV-absorbing monofocal IOL with the UltraSert pre-loaded delivery system means that surgeons can enjoy reliable, user-friendly delivery of a pristine, untouched IOL, with less device preparation time than manually loaded IOLs,” the company announced in a press release. Alcon