Publications by authors named "Morio Ueno"
The PreserFlo MicroShunt (PMS) is a minimally invasive surgical device for glaucoma management. However, postoperative hypotony remains a significant complication. This retrospective cohort study analyzed 471 eyes to evaluate the efficacy of PMS implantation in reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) and medication dependency, as well as to identify risk factors associated with hypotony.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Escalón is a prospective, randomized, double-masked, parallel-group trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cultured human corneal endothelial cells (CECs) and the Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632 for treating corneal edema secondary to endothelial dysfunction.
Methods: Eligible eyes with bullous keratopathy (N = 18) or Fuchs dystrophy (N = 4) were randomized to receive endothelial polishing and a single intracameral injection containing 1 x 106 CECs and 10, 20, or 100 μM Y-27632. The primary outcome was safety based on incidence and severity of ocular and nonocular treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs).
Purpose: Little is known about the effects of ambient atmospheric pressure (AP) on intraocular pressure (IOP) under ordinary conditions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of AP on Goldmann applanation tonometer-measured IOP (GAT-IOP) in normal eyes under everyday atmospheric conditions adjusting for effects of possible confounding factors including other climatic factors.
Methods: Data obtained from 2,431 normal healthy eyes of 2,431 subjects (mean age: 56.
Article Synopsis
- A study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of cultured human corneal endothelial cells (cHCEC) for treating bullous keratopathy (BK) across phase II and III clinical trials involving 27 patients.
- The primary goal was to achieve a corneal endothelial cell density of at least 1000 cells/mm by 24 weeks post-transplant, which was successful in 94.1% of cases, alongside significant reductions in corneal thickness and improvements in vision.
- While 88.9% of patients experienced mild and temporary adverse events, the cHCEC treatment showed promising results in restoring corneal function and visual acuity.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates whether polishing can remove guttae in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) without needing Descemet stripping and if cultured corneal endothelial cell (CEC) transplants can help maintain reduced guttae post-surgery.
- A case series conducted at Kyoto Prefectural University Hospital followed 22 eyes over three years, focusing on changes in guttae after cultured CEC transplant therapy.
- Results showed that all 15 monitored eyes had guttae pre-op, with a notable reduction in guttae presence after surgical intervention, indicating that both procedures can effectively reduce guttae.
Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of switching from the concomitant use of brinzolamide 1% (BZM) and brimonidine 0.1% (BMD) to a BZM/BMD fixed-dose combination (BBFC) for the reduction of corneal epithelial damage.
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Purpose: To examine corneal graft survival via corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) and corneal endothelial cell loss (ECL) at 5 years post-transplantation in the eyes of patients with and without a history of undergoing glaucoma surgery according to the maturity of the donor corneal endothelial cells.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Methods: This prospective cohort study included 17 patients with glaucoma and 51 patients without glaucoma who underwent Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty or penetrating keratoplasty at the Baptist Eye Institute, Kyoto, Japan, between October 2014 and October 2016.
Purpose: To reveal the molecular mechanism underlying degeneration in human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells with dysfunctional mitochondrial homeostasis.
Methods: The expression of recently identified miR-494-3p in extracellular vesicles (EV) released from induced-pluripotential-stem-cell-derived human RPE (iPS-hRPE), during coculture with macrophages (Mps) was investigated in iPS-hRPE and ARPE cells differentiated in the presence of nicotinamide (Nic-ARPE). The expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), sirtuin3 (SIRT3), and mitochondrial marker proteins before and after the transfection of miR-494-3p inhibitor and mimic, and the changes in mitochondrial metabolism, membrane potential, and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) were monitored.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to investigate the relationship between metabolites and microRNAs (miRs) in the aqueous humor of patients with bullous keratopathy (BK) to help preserve corneal endothelial integrity.
- A total of 55 BK patients and 31 cataract patients were analyzed using advanced biostatistical methods like hierarchical clustering and Lasso analysis to assess miR and metabolite levels in their aqueous humor.
- Results indicated that specific metabolites decreased in BK patients, notably 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid, and were positively associated with certain miRs, suggesting a potential mechanism behind the degeneration of human corneal endothelium.
Purpose: To report the safety, efficacy, and long-term outcome in a case of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) treated by Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK)-inhibitor eye drops in combination with removal of degenerated corneal endothelial cells (CECs) subsequent to transcorneal freezing.
Observations: A 52-year-old Japanese man diagnosed with early-stage FECD developed central corneal edema with decreased visual acuity (VA) in his left eye and was treated by ROCK inhibitor eye drops (Y-27632 10mM) q.i.
Skeletal muscle stem cells (MuSCs) have been proposed as suitable candidates for cell therapy to muscular disorders since they exhibit a good capacity for myogenic regeneration. However, for better therapeutic outcomes, it is necessary to isolate human MuSCs from a suitable tissue source that possess high myogenic differentiation. In this context, isolated CD56+CD82+ cells from extra eyelid tissues were tested in vitro myogenic differentiation potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) gradually decreases after corneal transplantation by unknown biologic, biophysical, or immunologic mechanism. Our purpose was to assess the association between donor corneal endothelial cell (CEC) maturity in culture and postoperative endothelial cell loss (ECL) after successful corneal transplantation.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to investigate how extracellular vesicle (EV) microRNAs (miRs) interact to mitigate the degeneration of human corneal endothelium (HCE) tissues.
- - Researchers analyzed miR levels in various corneal tissues and patient samples, identifying distinct groups of miRs that show varying expression based on aging and other factors, particularly highlighting miR-184 and -24-3p for their regenerative potential.
- - Findings revealed that decreasing cellular miR-34a led to increased release of regenerative miRs like miR-184 and -24-3p, suggesting their role in promoting tissue repair and reducing inflammatory responses in corneal cells.
This study aims to clarify the immunogenicity in acquired and innate immune responses of cultured human corneal endothelial cells (hCECs) applied for cell injection therapy, a newly established modality for corneal endothelium failures. Thirty-four patients with corneal endothelial failure received injection of allogeneic hCEC suspension into anterior chamber. No sign of immunological rejection was observed in all 34 patients during the 5-8 years postoperative follow-up period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - This study introduces a new classification model to identify individuals who remain free from glaucoma for 10 years, using the vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR) as the main measure.
- - Out of 842 volunteers aged 40 and older, 421 returned for a second eye exam; they were categorized into four groups based on their VCDR and other eye conditions, allowing for tracking of glaucoma transition rates (GTRs).
- - Results showed lower GTRs in healthier groups (1.3% for N1 and N2) compared to those at higher risk (18.2% for glaucoma suspects), indicating the model's potential to identify at-risk individuals, particularly among Japanese males.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigated the circadian clock's effect on gene expression in cultured human corneal endothelial cells (cHCECs) to understand its role in cell function.
- Researchers used a bioluminescence reporter to monitor circadian rhythms in cHCECs and performed RNA sequencing to identify genes with rhythmic expression.
- The results showed that cHCECs have a strong circadian clock, with 329 genes linked to important cellular processes displaying rhythmic expression, suggesting that this regulation helps the cells adapt to daily environmental changes.
Repressed miR-34a Expression Dictates the Cell Fate to Corneal Endothelium Failure.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
April 2022
Purpose: To reveal the mechanism triggering the functional disparity between degenerated and non-degenerated corneal endothelium cells in the water efflux from corneal stroma to the anterior chamber.
Methods: The varied levels of the microRNA (miR)-34, miR-378, and miR-146 family in human corneal endothelium and cultured cells thereof were investigated using 3D-Gene Human miRNA Oligo Chips. Concomitantly, CD44, p53, c-Myc, matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-2 expression, and Ras homolog gene family member A (Rho A) activity was correlated to the expression intensities of these microRNAs, partly complemented with their altered expression levels with the transfection of the corresponding mimics and inhibitors.
This study aimed to uncover the mechanism responsible for the clinical efficacy of cell injection therapy with fully differentiated cultured cells. Analysis of polarized expression of ion transporters on cultured human corneal endothelial cells (CECs) subpopulations (SPs) was performed. The intracellular pH (pHi) between two CEC SPs, distinct in the proportion of differentiated cells, was measured, and the association with mitochondrial respiration homeostasis was investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To investigate the localized expression of C1q/tumor necrosis factor related protein (CTRP) 6 in human age-related macular degeneration (AMD) retinal tissues.
Experimental Study Design: 4 AMD and 3 non-AMD whole eyes of Caucasian donors were used. Eyecups were excised at Eye Bank CorneaGen, Inc.
Purpose: To investigate the safety and efficacy of cultured human corneal endothelial cell (hCEC) injection therapy with mature differentiated (mature) cell subpopulations (SPs) for corneal endothelial failure (CEF).
Design: Comparative, interventional case series.
Methods: This study involved 18 eyes with CEF that underwent cultured hCEC injection therapy, categorized into 2 groups: (1) 11 eyes administered a relatively lower proportion (0.
Purpose: Carriers of functionally deficient mutations in the CYP39A1 gene have been recently reported to have a 2-fold increased risk of exfoliation syndrome (XFS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of blindness and related clinical phenotypes of XFS patients carrying the loss-of-function CYP39A1 G204E mutation in comparison with XFS patients without any CYP39A1 mutation.
Design: Retrospective case study.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to examine how intraocular pressure (IOP) varies seasonally in patients with normal-tension glaucoma over 20 years using data from the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Glaucoma Registry.
- Researchers analyzed medical records of 1,774 patients, identifying trends in IOP from January 1997 to December 2016, segmented into five four-year periods.
- Results showed a significant overall decline in IOP across the years, along with pronounced seasonal fluctuations, reflecting higher pressure in earlier years and lower in recent years.
To explore new molecular targets for therapy in human model systems by discerning the role of extracellular vesicle (EV) microRNAs (miRs) secreted by human retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) cells and their cellular interplay with macrophages (Mps). Human Mps differentiated from THP-1 cells stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate were co-cultured with induced pluripotent stem cell-derived differentiated hRPE (iPS-hRPE) cells in Transwell® system separated by 0.40 μm or 0.
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- Exfoliation syndrome is a systemic disorder characterized by the buildup of abnormal protein aggregates in the eye, leading to increased risk of glaucoma and potential blindness.
- The study aimed to explore the association between exfoliation syndrome and rare genetic variants that could affect protein function, using whole-exome sequencing on participants from 14 countries over 20 years.
- Results showed that individuals with exfoliation syndrome were more likely to have harmful genetic variants in the CYP39A1 gene compared to those without the condition, indicating a potential genetic factor in the disorder.
The aim of the study is to clarify the participation of extracellular vesicles (EV) secreted by murine primary retinal pigment epithelial (mpRPE) cells in the cell to cell communication with macrophages (Mps), firstly described by the authors in 2016. In ocular inflammation, Mps act as sources of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), an activator of RPE cells. TNF-α stimulates the production of monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1) by RPE cells, thereby causing greater recruitment of Mps to the sub-RPE space.
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