Lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) is still the only approach for treating glaucoma, in which there is mitochondrial damage in the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Activating survival pathways in RGCs was thus hypothesized by Indiana University scientists as a strategy for treating glaucoma independently of IOP modulation.

Researchers from Ikarovec Ltd. have presented preclinical data for the AAV8-IKC159V, the company’s lead bicistronic gene therapy being developed for the treatment of geographic atrophy, a late stage of geographic dry AMD.

Intravitreal VEGF inhibitors are the first-line treatment for vascular retinopathies, but they are invasive, painful and require frequent treatments.

Annually in the U.S., about 40,000 people with corneal endothelial cell dystrophy receive a corneal transplant. The ligand of melanocortin MC1 receptor (MC1R) has been shown to protect the corneal endothelial cells from stress and injury in several models.

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.

A new adeno-associated viral vector-driven CR2-CR1 fusion protein, named KRIYA-825, was tested in vivo in mice with sodium iodate-induced geographic atrophy.

Researchers from Tokyo Medical University presented data from a study that assessed microRNA (miRNA) profiles in extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from vitreous humor and serum of patients with ocular sarcoidosis and vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL).

Eluminex Biosciences Ltd. has presented results from preclinical studies of EB-105, a humanized trispecific antibody targeting IL-6 receptor (IL-6R), vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) for the treatment of diabetic macular edema.