Extended Intraocular Drug-Delivery Platforms for the Treatment of Retinal and Choroidal Diseases.

To review sustained-release intraocular platforms used to treat diseases of the retina and choroid. A literature review of the current applications of biomaterials for sustained-release therapy in retinal and choroidal diseases was performed. Retinal and choroidal diseases, such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic macular edema (DME), and uveitis, are commonly treated using intravitreal (IVT) therapies that require frequent IVT injections.

Subfoveal neurosensory detachment flattening and observe (SNF-Ob) approach for the management of Ci-DMO - a multicentric study.

Purpose: To understand subfoveal neurosensory detachment flattening and observe (SNF-Ob) strategy and its relationship with visual acuity in the management of centre-involved diabetic macular oedema (Ci-DMO).

Methods: This was a multicentric retrospective observational study. We reviewed data of 188 eyes of 130 patients who presented with Ci-DMO with subfoveal neurosensory detachment (NSD) and treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents or steroids.

High frequencies of alpha common cold coronavirus/SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive functional CD4 and CD8 memory T cells are associated with protection from symptomatic and fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections in unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.

Background: Cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD4 and CD8 T cells are present in up to 50% of unexposed, pre-pandemic, healthy individuals (UPPHIs). However, the characteristics of cross-reactive memory CD4 and CD8 T cells associated with subsequent protection of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients (i.e.

Global experience of faricimab in clinical settings - a review.

Introduction: Faricimab is a bispecific antibody that acts to reduce neoangiogenesis in exudative retinal vascular disorders. It is approved for use in neovascular age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. We review the published efficacy and safety of faricimab in clinical settings.

A Broad-Spectrum Multi-Antigen mRNA/LNP-Based Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine Induced Potent Cross-Protective Immunity Against Infection and Disease Caused by Highly Pathogenic and Heavily Spike-Mutated SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in the Syrian Hamster Model.

The first-generation Spike-alone-based COVID-19 vaccines have successfully contributed to reducing the risk of hospitalization, serious illness, and death caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, waning immunity induced by these vaccines failed to prevent immune escape by many variants of concern (VOCs) that emerged from 2020 to 2024, resulting in a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesize that a next-generation Coronavirus (CoV) vaccine incorporating highly conserved non-Spike SARS-CoV-2 antigens would confer stronger and broader cross-protective immunity against multiple VOCs.

Cross-protection induced by highly conserved human B, CD4, and CD8 T-cell epitopes-based vaccine against severe infection, disease, and death caused by multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created one of the largest global health crises in almost a century. Although the current rate of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections has decreased significantly, the long-term outlook of COVID-19 remains a serious cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with the mortality rate still substantially surpassing even that recorded for influenza viruses. The continued emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), including multiple heavily mutated Omicron sub-variants, has prolonged the COVID-19 pandemic and underscores the urgent need for a next-generation vaccine that will protect from multiple SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.

The role of mitochondrial genes on nuclear gene expression in neovascular age related macular degeneration: analysis of nuclear VEGF gene expression after ranibizumab treatment in cytoplasmic hybrid retinal pigment epithelial cell lines correlated with clinical evolution.

Purpose: The present study tests the hypothesis that mitochondrial genes have retrograde signaling capacity that influences the expression of nuclear genes related to angiogenesis pathways. Cytoplasmic hybrid (cybrid) in vitro cell lines with patient specific mitochondria inserted into an immortalized retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19) were used to test this hypothesis. This type of analysis can provide important information to identify the optimal regimen of anti-VEGF treatment, personalizing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) therapies.

Preparing for the next decade of anti-VEGF biosimilars for retinal diseases: a focus on South Asia.

Introduction: South Asian countries such as India, South Korea, and Japan have played a key role in spearheading the research and development of biosimilars of the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) ranibizumab for retinal diseases. It is important to understand how this region is preparing for the next decade in the field of anti-VEGF biosimilars for retinal diseases.

Areas Covered: We discuss the existing anti-VEGF ranibizumab biosimilars along with the biosimilars that might receive approval in the coming decade.

Cross-Protection Induced by Highly Conserved Human B, CD4 and CD8 T Cell Epitopes-Based Coronavirus Vaccine Against Severe Infection, Disease, and Death Caused by Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern.

Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created one of the largest global health crises in almost a century. Although the current rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections has decreased significantly; the long-term outlook of COVID-19 remains a serious cause of high death worldwide; with the mortality rate still surpassing even the worst mortality rates recorded for the influenza viruses. The continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), including multiple heavily mutated Omicron sub-variants, have prolonged the COVID-19 pandemic and outlines the urgent need for a next-generation vaccine that will protect from multiple SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.

Stability Determination of Intact Humanin-G with Characterizations of Oxidation and Dimerization Patterns.

Humanin is the first identified mitochondrial-derived peptide. Humanin-G (HNG) is a variant of Humanin that has significantly higher cytoprotective properties. Here, we describe the stability features of HNG in different conditions and characterize HNG degradation, oxidation, and dimerization patterns over short-term and long-term periods.

Vitreal Concentrations of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Patients with Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the vitreous humor of patients with primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). This is a prospective case control study. Eighteen patients with primary RRD without proliferative vitreoretinopathy C (PVR C) were enrolled as cases, and twenty-two non-diabetic retinopathy patients who were candidates for complete pars plana vitrectomy due to Macular Hole or Epiretinal Membrane were included as the control group.

Biosimilars for retinal diseases: United States-Europe awareness survey (Bio-USER - survey).

Purpose: To assess the awareness of biosimilar intravitreal anti-VEGF agents among retina specialists practicing in the United States (US) and Europe.

Methods: A 16-question online survey was created in English and distributed between Dec 01, 2021 and Jan 31, 2022. A total of 112 respondents (retinal physicians) from the US and Europe participated.

Differential modulation of cancer-related genes by mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and the STING DNA sensing system.

Activation of the Simulator of Interferon Genes (STING) system by mitochondrial (mt) DNA can upregulate type 1 interferon genes and enhance immune responses to combat bacterial and viral infections. In cancers, the tumor-derived DNA activates STING leading to upregulation of IFN-beta and induction of antitumor T cells. The entire mtDNA from the cell lines was sequenced using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology with independent sequencing of both strands in both directions, allowing identification of low-frequency heteroplasmy SNPs.