Anti-Syndecan 2 Antibody Treatment Reduces Edema Formation and Inflammation of Murine Laser-Induced CNV.

Purpose: Alteration of visual acuity in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is mostly driven by vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A)-induced edema from leaky newly forming blood vessels below the retina layers. To date, all therapies aimed at alleviation of this process have relied on inhibition of VEGF-A activity. Although effective in preventing vascular leak and edema, this approach also leads to the loss of normal vasculature and multiple related side effects.

Metastatic conjunctival melanoma: a multicentre international study.

Background: To reveal clinical findings related to metastatic conjunctival melanoma.

Methods: 10 ophthalmic oncology centres (9 countries and 4 continents) shared data to create a large clinical case series. The main outcome measures were the incidence and cumulative risk of systemic metastasis, study mortality rates and Kaplan-Meier patient mortality after developing conjunctival melanoma metastasis.

Expert Opinions on Uveal Melanoma: Insights from the 58th Ophthalmic Oncology Group Meeting.

Introduction: Clear evidence for the best clinical management of uveal melanoma is lacking in some areas. Therefore, reports on expert opinions in the field can be valuable.

Methods: A questionnaire comprising 10 questions was distributed to potential participants of the 58th Ophthalmic Oncology Group Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 2024.

The value of age of onset and family history as predictors of molecular diagnosis in a Swedish cohort of inherited retinal disease.

Purpose: This study aimed to characterize clinical and genetic findings in a Swedish cohort with inherited retinal disease (IRD), identify predictors for achieving a molecular diagnosis and evaluate the effects of increased genetic testing over time.

Methods: Clinical and genetic data from 324 nonrelated IRD index individuals referred for genetic testing in the Stockholm region between 2016 and 2023 were collected retrospectively and analysed by clinical subtype, age of onset and testing period (2016-2020 vs. 2021-2023).

On the Prognostic Implication of Delays in the Definitive Treatment of Uveal Melanoma.

Recent studies suggest that delays in the definitive treatment of uveal melanoma may increase the risk of metastatic disease. This topic has been the subject of considerable debate. In this study, we combine and contrast medical evidence from several recent publications seeking to clarify the association between treatment delays and prognosis.

Intravitreal injection of the Galectin-3 inhibitor TD139 provides neuroprotection in a rat model of ocular hypertensive glaucoma.

Neuroinflammation is a significant contributor to the pathology of glaucoma. Targeting key-mediators in this process is a realistic option to slow disease progression. Galectin-3 is a β-galactoside binding lectin that has been associated with inflammation in both systemic and central nervous system diseases.

Turn-Adopting Peptidomimetic as a Formyl Peptide Receptor-1 Antagonist.

The design, synthesis, and characterization of a new peptidomimetic acting as a formyl peptide receptor (FPR1) antagonist (N-19004) are herein reported. The molecule has been identified with docking studies of the highly potent FPR1 antagonist UPARANT on human receptor. N-19004 recapitulates all pharmacophoric groups necessary for recognition into a minimal structure, with a crucial role of the 2,6-diamino-thiophenyl scaffold mimicking the positions of Cα atoms of Arg residues in the turned Arg-Aib-Arg segment of UPARANT.

Healthcare, school and daily life experiences of patients with microphthalmia or anophthalmia and their parents.

Aim: This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of the patients with microphthalmia and anophthalmia and their parents, focusing on the healthcare, school settings and daily life challenges to improve patient management.

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted in Stockholm, Sweden, from October 2022 to June 2023. Participants were recruited through the St Erik Eye Hospital database (2008-2022), and the data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Decade-long analysis of postoperative endophthalmitis in Sweden: Insights from insurance and national quality registers.

Purpose: To analyse clinical characteristics and risk factors for post-operative endophthalmitis (POE) in a Swedish patient insurance database and compare prevalence of POE with two national quality registers.

Methods: We analysed 218 medical records of patients who claimed compensation for POE following ocular surgery from 2010 to 2020. The data were cross-referenced with national quality registers.

Dynamics of Treatment Response to Faricimab for Diabetic Macular Edema.

This study analyzes the dynamics of short-term treatment response to the first intravitreal faricimab injection in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME). This retrospective, single-center, clinical trial was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich. Patients with treatment-naïve and pretreated DME were included.

Development and Validation of a Deep Learning Algorithm for Differentiation of Choroidal Nevi from Small Melanoma in Fundus Photographs.

Purpose: To develop and validate a deep learning algorithm capable of differentiating small choroidal melanomas from nevi.

Design: Retrospective multicenter cohort study.

Participants: A total of 802 images from 688 patients diagnosed with choroidal nevi or melanoma.

Sterile Intraocular Inflammation Associated With Faricimab.

Importance: Randomized clinical trials are conducted to establish both drug safety and efficacy. However, evidence of adverse events associated with these drugs in the clinical practice setting can be of value at generating hypotheses regarding less common safety issues, even if causality cannot be determined.

Objective: To present and analyze cases of intraocular inflammation associated with faricimab therapy in patients referred to a single European institution.

Ganglion Cell Complex Thickness and Visual Function in Chronic Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.

Purpose: To evaluate the correlation between the macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness measured with manually corrected segmentation and visual function in individuals with chronic Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON).

Methods: Twenty-six chronic LHON subjects (60% treated with idebenone or Q10) from the Swedish LHON registry were enrolled. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), visual field tests, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed.

Interim safety and efficacy of gene therapy for RLBP1-associated retinal dystrophy: a phase 1/2 trial.

Gene therapy holds promise for treatment of inherited retinal dystrophies, a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by severe loss of vision. Here, we report up to 3-year pre-specified interim safety and efficacy results of an open-label first-in-human dose-escalation phase 1/2 gene therapy clinical trial in 12 patients with retinal dystrophy caused by biallelic mutations in the retinaldehyde-binding protein 1 (RLBP1) gene of the visual cycle. The primary endpoints were systemic and ocular safety and recovery of dark adaptation.

Accelerated maturation of ARPE-19 cells for the translational assessment of gene therapy.

The human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell line ARPE-19 is widely used as an alternative to primary RPE despite losing many features of primary RPE. We aimed to determine whether a combination of RPE-specific laminin (LN) and nicotinamide (NAM) could improve ARPE-19 redifferentiation to resemble mature RPE and improve the assessment of RPE-specific gene therapy strategies. ARPE-19 cells were propagated on tissue culture plastic supplemented with NAM and human recombinant LN521-coating.

Oral nicotinamide provides robust, dose-dependent structural and metabolic neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells in experimental glaucoma.

A compromised capacity to maintain NAD pools is recognized as a key underlying pathophysiological feature of neurodegenerative diseases. NAD acts as a substrate in major cell functions including mitochondrial homeostasis, cell signalling, axonal transport, axon/Wallerian degeneration, and neuronal energy supply. Dendritic degeneration is an early marker of neuronal stress and precedes cell loss.

Tailoring surveillance imaging in uveal melanoma based on individual metastatic risk.

Objective: To develop surveillance programs for uveal melanoma patients, tailored to metastatic risk.

Methods: Surveillance schedules were developed using the number needed to scan (NNS) concept, based on weighted average metastasis-free survival (MFS) rates from systematic review data of 18 prognostic groups (Disomy 3 (D3), Monosomy 3 (M3), EIF1AX-mutation, SF3B1-mutation, BAP1-mutation, high or low nBAP-1 immunohistochemistry, gene expression profiling classes (1;1A;1B;1;1;2;2;2), and V stages I-III).

Results: In a typical surveillance schedule, involving biannual examinations years 1-5 and annual examinations years 6-10, the NNS varies dramatically from 1 to nearly infinity, underscoring the necessity for personalized surveillance approaches.