Impact of Acute Ocular Hypertension on Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in Mice.

Purpose: To assess the correlation between intraocular pressure (IOP) levels and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss across different fixed-duration episodes of acute ocular hypertension (AOH).

Methods: AOH was induced in Thy1-YFP-H transgenic mice by inserting a needle connected to a saline solution container into the anterior chamber. Thirty-one groups were tested, each comprising three to five mice exposed to IOP levels ranging from 50 to 110 mm Hg in 5/10 mm Hg increments for 60/90/120 minutes and a sham control group.

Navigating the uncertainty: A novel taxonomy of vaccine hesitancy in the context of COVID-19.

Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant and evolving public health challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique decision context with significant uncertainty caused by the novelty of the disease being targeted, unfamiliarity with the vaccines being offered, misinformation, and strong handed government measures. In an effort to extend our understanding of vaccine hesitancy to the high uncertainty decision environment presented by COVID-19, we present a novel taxonomy of the determinants of vaccine hesitancy, based on an inductive analysis of qualitative data gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Novel loci for ocular axial length identified through extreme-phenotype genome-wide association study in Chinese populations.

Purpose: To investigate genetic loci associated with ocular axial length (AL) in the Chinese population.

Methods: A genome-wide association study meta-analysis was conducted in totalling 2644 Chinese individuals from 3 cohorts: the Guangzhou cohort (GZ, 537 high myopes and 151 hyperopes), Wenzhou cohort (334 high myopes and 6 hyperopes) and Guangzhou Twin Eye Study (1051 participants with normally distributed AL). Functional mapping was performed to annotate the significant signals, possible tissues and cell types by integrating available multiomics data.

An optimized method for retrograde labelling and quantification of rabbit retinal ganglion cells.

Rabbits are a commonly used animal model in glaucoma research, but their application has been limited by the techniques used to assess optic nerve injury (ONI). Our study devised an optimized method for retrograde labelling and analysing rabbit retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). This method involved improvements over the conventional method regarding the stereotaxic device, the positioning of superior colliculi, the target of axonal tracer delivery, and the visualization and analysis of labelled RGCs.

Identification of novel loci influencing refractive error in East Asian populations using an extreme phenotype design.

The global "myopia boom" has raised significant international concerns. Despite a higher myopia prevalence in Asia, previous large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) were mostly based on European descendants. Here, we report a GWAS of spherical equivalent (SE) in 1852 Chinese Han individuals with extreme SE from Guangzhou (631 < -6.

Effects of corneal crosslinking on corneal shape stabilization after orthokeratology.

Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) works to reshape cornea and is the only non-surgical way to enable vision without corrective aids. However, its effect is only temporary, and successful stabilization requires ongoing Ortho-K wear to maintain the reshaping effect. Corneal crosslinking (CXL) is a commonly-used technique in clinical practice to stabilize corneal shape in keratoconic eyes.

Long-term therapeutic effect in nonhuman primate eye from a single injection of anti-VEGF controlled release hydrogel.

Wet age-related macular degeneration (wet-AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. Current treatment of AMD requires monthly intravitreal injection, which is difficult to be implemented in many parts of the world. In recent years, controlled release of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapeutics has attracted intense research interest aiming to reduce the injection frequency to one or two times per year.

Repeated retinal photocoagulation in monkeys for the optimization of a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization model.

The laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) model in nonhuman primates has played a critical role in the development of new therapies for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The widespread use of this model, however, has been limited by its high costs, mainly due to the lower efficiency of animal use. We optimized the CNV model by administering repeated photocoagulation treatments to the same eye of each animal, and preliminarily evaluated this model using an assessment of the efficacy of an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent to address this problem.

Chronic ocular hypertension in rabbits induced by limbal buckling.

Aim: To establish a rabbit model of chronic ocular hypertension (OHT) by limbal buckling.

Methods: Eighteen New Zealand White rabbits were involved and divided into three groups. A latex encircling band of 20, 25 or 35 mm was implanted behind the limbus in the right eye of each animal.

Assessment of laser induction of Bruch's membrane disruption in monkey by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Purpose: Laser-induced choroidal neovascularisation is a widely used model for age-related macular degeneration. The success rates of induction have been relatively low in large animals such as monkeys. Our study aimed to investigate the laser-induced damages to the Bruch's membrane of monkeys using the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT).