Current and Emerging Therapeutic Strategies for the Management of Neurotrophic Keratitis.

Neurotrophic keratitis is a rare eye condition characterised by reduced or absent corneal sensation. This leads to impaired corneal healing through a loss of protective mechanisms such as blinking. The cornea becomes vulnerable to persistent epithelial defects, ulceration, infection and ultimately, vision loss or loss of the eye.

Effect of ethnicity and other sociodemographic factors on attendance at ophthalmology appointments following referral from a Diabetic Eye Screening Programme: a retrospective cohort study.

Background/aims: To examine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and attendance at Hospital Eye Service (HES) referrals from the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP), in a large, ethnically diverse urban population.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study (4 January 2016-12 August 2019) of people with diabetic retinopathy (DR) referred from an English DESP to a tertiary referral eye hospital. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression with attendance as the primary outcome, controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, Index of Multiple Deprivation, best eye visual acuity and baseline DR grade.

Measuring the visual environment of children and young people at risk of myopia: a scoping review.

Purpose: Myopia (short-sightedness) is an emerging WHO priority eye disease. Rise in prevalence and severity are driven by changes in lifestyle and environment of children and young people (CYP), including less time spent in bright daylight and more time spent on near-vision activities. We aimed to systematically map the literature describing direct, objective measurements of the visual environment of CYP.

Single- versus two-test criteria for cognitive impairment: associations with CSF and imaging markers in former American football players.

 Cognitive impairment is a core feature of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES), the putative clinical syndrome of chronic traumatic encephalopathy-a neuropathological disease associated with repetitive head impacts (RHI). Careful operationalization of cognitive impairment is essential to improving the diagnostic specificity and accuracy of TES criteria. We compared single- versus two-test criteria for cognitive impairment in their associations with CSF and imaging biomarkers in male former American football players.

Generation of a human iPSC line (UCLi025-A) from a patient with PHARC syndrome harbouring biallelic variants in ABHD12.

A human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line (UCLi025-A) was generated from dermal fibroblast cells from a 42-year-old female donor with polyneuropathy, hearing loss, retinitis pigmentosa and early-onset cataract (PHARC) syndrome carrying a homozygous nonsense variant in ABHD12 c.193C>T, p.(Arg65*).

Characterisation of the ocular inflammatory response to AAV reveals divergence by sex and age.

Progress for ocular AAV gene therapy has been hindered by AAV-induced inflammation, limiting dose escalation and long-term efficacy. Broadly, the extent of inflammatory responses alters with age and sex, yet these factors are poorly represented in pre-clinical development of ocular AAV gene therapies. Here, we combined clinical imaging, flow cytometry and bulk-sequencing of sorted microglia to interrogate the longitudinal inflammatory response following intravitreal delivery of AAV2 in young (3-month), middle aged (9-month) and old (18-month) Cx3cr1-creER:R26tdTomato+/- mice of both sexes.

Triterpenoid saponin-mediated recovery of visual deficits in age-related macular degeneration (AMD): Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial.

Purpose: Recovery rate of rod photoreceptor sensitivity (S2 gradient) following a bleach is reduced in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) due to diminished delivery of retinol across a grossly altered Bruch's membrane. Since triterpenoid saponins are known to improve transport across Bruch's, we have assessed their possible use for reversing the visual deficits in AMD.

Design: Double-blind, placebo controlled randomised clinical trial.

Macular, choroidal and disc associations across women's reproductive life stages: a scoping review from menarche to post-menopause.

Oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate cyclically in women throughout their adult lives. Although these hormones cross the blood-retinal barrier and bind to intraocular receptors, their effects remain unclear. We present the first review to date on associations between posterior pole structures-specifically the macula, choroid, and optic disc-and both the menstrual cycle and post-menopausal period, utilising multimodal imaging techniques in healthy adult non-pregnant women.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for treatment of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder - recommendations from ECTRIMS and the EBMT.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is a treatment option for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that are refractory to disease-modifying therapy (DMT). AHSCT after failure of high-efficacy DMT in aggressive forms of relapsing-remitting MS is a generally accepted indication, yet the optimal placement of this approach in the treatment sequence is not universally agreed upon. Uncertainties also remain with respect to other indications, such as in rapidly evolving, severe, treatment-naive MS, progressive MS, and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

Macrophage to neuron communication via extracellular vesicles in neuropathic pain conditions.

Neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury results from maladaptive changes in neurons and immune cells contribution to mechanisms underlying chronic pain. Specifically, in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), sensory neuron cell bodies release extracellular vesicles (EVs) which promote pro-inflammatory macrophage accumulation that facilitates nociceptive signalling. Here, we show that macrophages shuttle EVs to neurons.

Visual Acuity, Full-field Stimulus Thresholds, and Electroretinography for 4 Years in The Rate of Progression of USH2A-related Retinal Degeneration (RUSH2A) Study.

Purpose: To describe progression of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), full-field stimulus thresholds (FST), and electroretinography (ERG) over 4 years in the -related Retinal Degeneration study and to assess their suitability as clinical trial endpoints.

Design: Prospective natural history study.

Participants: Participants (n = 105) with biallelic disease-causing sequence variants in USH2A and BCVA letter scores of ≥54 were included.

Ultrasound guided Ru106 plaque brachytherapy for treatment of exudative retinal detachment in children with diffuse choroidal haemangioma.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided ruthenium (Ru 106) plaque brachytherapy for treatment of exudative retinal detachment in diffuse choroidal haemangioma (DCH).

Methods: Retrospective analysis of four paediatric patients treated with ultrasound-guided Ru 106 plaque brachytherapy for DCH with total exudative retinal detachment directed to the thickest part of the DCH. A dose of 40 Gy to the tumour apex was delivered in all patients.

Relationship Between Intraocular Pressure and the True Rate of Functional and Structural Progression in the United Kingdom Glaucoma Treatment Study.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of average intraocular pressure (IOP) on the true rate of glaucoma progression (RoP) in the United Kingdom Glaucoma Treatment Study (UKGTS).

Methods: UKGTS participants were randomized to placebo or Latanoprost drops and monitored for up to two years with visual field tests (VF, 24-2 SITA standard), IOP measurements, and optic nerve imaging. We included eyes with at least three structural or functional assessments (VF with <15% false-positive errors).

Distribution and viability of ocular and non-ocular Chlamydia trachomatis in households in a trachoma-endemic community in Oromia, Ethiopia.

Background: We aimed to determine the household distribution and viability of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) from the eyes, face, and hands during the initial two visits of a year-long fortnightly cohort study in geographically defined adjacent households.

Methods/findings: We enrolled 298 individuals from 68 neighbouring households in Shashemene Woreda, Oromia, Ethiopia. All individuals above 2 years of age residing in these households were examined for signs of trachoma.

Retinal Sensitivity in KCNV2-Associated Retinopathy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the retinal sensitivity under photopic, mesopic, and scotopic conditions in a cohort of patients affected with KCNV2-associated retinopathy.

Methods: Cross-sectional evaluation of molecularly confirmed individuals was conducted. Data were obtained prospectively.

: children's experiences of visual hallucinations in Charles Bonnet syndrome-a qualitative study.

Objective: Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) refers to the presence of visual hallucinations occurring secondary to visual impairment. The aim of this study was to understand the phenomenology of CBS in children and assess the emotional impact and support needs of patients and their families.

Design: Semistructured qualitative interview study.

Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Altered Glucose Metabolism Contribute to the Retinal Phenotype in the Choroideremia Zebrafish.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the retina play a key role in maintaining function and cell survival. However, excessive ROS can lead to oxidative stress, inducing dysregulation of metabolic and inflammatory pathways. The zebrafish models choroideremia (CHM), an X-linked chorioretinal dystrophy, which predominantly affects the photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and choroid.

The IBEX Imaging Knowledge-Base: A Community Resource Enabling Adoption and Development of Immunofluoresence Imaging Methods.

The iterative bleaching extends multiplexity (IBEX) Knowledge-Base is a central portal for researchers adopting IBEX and related 2D and 3D immunofluorescence imaging methods. The design of the Knowledge-Base is modeled after efforts in the open-source software community and includes three facets: a development platform (GitHub), static website, and service for data archiving. The Knowledge-Base facilitates the practice of open science throughout the research life cycle by providing validation data for recommended and non-recommended reagents, e.

Intraocular Inflammation (IOI) Associated with Faricimab Therapy: One-year Real World Outcomes.

Purpose: To report one-year real-world evidence on intraocular inflammation (IOI) adverse events (AEs) in patients undergoing faricimab therapy in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: A retrospective review of electronic medical records was conducted for patients receiving faricimab treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) at Moorfields Eye Hospital between September 1st, 2022, and August 31st, 2023. The primary outcome was the incidence of IOI (excluding endophthalmitis).

Reduced lung metastasis in endothelial cell-specific transforming growth factor β type II receptor-deficient mice with decreased CD44 expression.

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is abundantly present in the tumor microenvironment, contributing to cancer progression. However, the regulatory mechanism by which TGF-β affects vascular endothelial cells (ECs) in the tumor microenvironment is not well understood. Herein, we generated tamoxifen-inducible TGF-β type II receptor () knockout mice, specifically targeting ECs (TβRII), by crossbreeding TβRII-floxed mice with Pdgfb-icreER mice.

Deep Learning to Predict the Future Growth of Geographic Atrophy from Fundus Autofluorescence.

Purpose: The region of growth (ROG) of geographic atrophy (GA) throughout the macular area has an impact on visual outcomes. Here, we developed multiple deep learning models to predict the 1-year ROG of GA lesions using fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images.

Design: In this retrospective analysis, 3 types of models were developed using FAF images collected 6 months after baseline to predict the GA lesion area (segmented lesion mask) at 1.

"Energetics of the outer retina I: Estimates of nutrient exchange and ATP generation".

Photoreceptors (PRs) are metabolically demanding and packed at high density, which presents a challenge for nutrient exchange between the associated vascular beds and the tissue. Motivated by the ambition to understand the constraints under which PRs function, in this study we have drawn together diverse physiological and anatomical data in order to generate estimates of the rates of ATP production per mm2 of retinal surface area. With the predictions of metabolic demand in the companion paper, we seek to develop an integrated energy budget for the outer retina.

Mainstreaming control interventions for neglected tropical diseases into the health system: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: The WHO neglected tropical diseases (NTD) roadmap (2021-2030) proposed a shift in approach to addressing NTDs through accountability for impact, implementing integration across NTDs, mainstreaming in national health systems and ensuring country ownership. However, a major challenge has been the dearth of evidence on how to implement this shift in a resource-limited setting. The objective of this scoping review is to understand the extent and type of evidence on the mainstreaming or integration of programmes and/or interventions against NTDs into the national health system.