Week in review: Squid centerfold, star studies, freeze-dried salve

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

A Caribbean Reef Squid’s exotic pupil graced the pages of Ophthalmology’s February issue. Scientists have long debated why the W-shaped pupil (shown above) dilates to a circle in darkness. Recent studies suggest the odd shape restricts light from the dorsal visual field, while evenly distributing light and image along the horizontal meridian. Ophthalmology

“If we only see with our eyes, our perception is very narrow,” says Wanda Diaz-Merced, a Puerto Rican astrophysicist who uses sonification to study the stars. Diaz-Merced lost her vision to diabetic retinopathy in early adulthood, but that didn’t stop her research – she shifted gears by converting astrophysical data to sound and continued on with her studies. Her story is told in this short from Emic Films, featured on National Geographic’s Short Film Showcase. National Geographic

Graybug Vision just released promising findings from an early trial of GB-102, a twice-yearly VEGF inhibitor for wet AMD. In a phase 1/2a study, a single dose of the drug—sunitinib encapsulated within bioabsorbable microparticles—was well tolerated and maintained 68% of evaluable participants for 6 months. A phase 2b study is expected to start later this year. Graybug Vision

A study of cells from 44 human donor eyes has uncovered 3 genes with possible ties to AMD, marking the first time genes encoding a proto-oncogene, transcription factor and a glycoprotein have been implicated in the disease. A new paper in Clinical Epigenetics suggests these genes carry a chemical signature in people with AMD and may play some role in the condition. University of Liverpool

Freeze-dried stem cells may be just the thing to cure corneal injuries, according to a recent paper in Stem Cells Translational Medicine. The authors find that freeze-dried mesenchymal stem cell secretome, reconstituted in a viscoelastic gel, enhances wound healing and reduces scarring in rats. If the findings hold up in humans, the salve could speed recovery from stubborn corneal wounds. Stem Cells Translational Medicine