Ultrasound cyclodestruction may not be the darling of American ophthalmologists and their patients dealing with glaucoma, but that may soon change thanks to a recent move by the U.S. FDA. The agency has down-classified these devices from class III to class II in a move that may prompt competition for current device-based methods of treating glaucoma, including widely used laser-based treatments.
From glaucoma to Stargardt disease, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to retinitis pigmentosa, or a corneal transplant to Bietti’s crystalline dystrophy, the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) is working to bring some light to patients with age and congenital diseases that affect vision. From May 7-11, 2024, thousands of scientists are gathering in Baltimore to show their advances against the challenges of delivering genes and cells to the correct place, avoiding immunogenicity and improving diseases.
From glaucoma to Stargardt disease, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to retinitis pigmentosa, or a corneal transplant to Bietti’s crystalline dystrophy, the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) is working to bring some light to patients with age and congenital diseases that affect vision. From May 7-11, 2024, thousands of scientists are gathering in Baltimore to show their advances against the challenges of delivering genes and cells to the correct place, avoiding immunogenicity and improving diseases.
Recent findings discovered a mutation in the METTL23 gene, which encodes methyltransferase-like protein 23, in a pedigree of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). The aim of researchers from the Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine was to confirm an association of mutations in this gene with NTG.
Previous findings had shown that injecting pepatin-1 prevented the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in rats with ocular hypertension. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis in RGCs revealed cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) signaling to be activated by peptain-1 conjugated with a cell-penetrating peptide, named P1-CPP.
Schepens Eye Research Institute presented new preclinical data on its AAV2.sFasL gene therapy, an adeno-associated virus (AVV2) encoding soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) for the potential prevention of glaucoma.
Richmond Hill, N.Y.-based Ihealthscreen Inc. reported the granting of a patent from the USPTO for automated systems for predicting and detecting the onset of glaucoma.
Asha Therapeutics LLC has nominated a development candidate, ASHA-624, as a potential disease-modifying therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with additional indications in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, glaucoma, and traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. ASHA-624 is expected to enter the clinic by year-end.
Researchers from Universita degli Studi di Firenze (University of Florence) and Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse (IBBR) published the discovery of new carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors to be developed as antiglaucoma agents.
Investigators from Tanta University and affiliated organizations have reported the discovery and preclinical characterization of novel carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoform II inhibitors as potential antiglaucoma agents.