1
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Ghosh A, Bera AK, Singh V, Basu S, Pati F. Bioprinting of anisotropic functional corneal stroma using mechanically robust multi-material bioink based on decellularized cornea matrix. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2024; 165:214007. [PMID: 39216318 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.214007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Corneal scarring is a common cause of blindness, affecting millions globally each year. A huge gap between the demand and supply of donor tissue currently limits corneal transplantation, the only definitive therapy for patients with corneal scarring. To overcome this challenge, researchers have harnessed the efficacy of 3D bioprinting to fabricate artificial corneal stromal constructs. With all the different bioinks available, the decellularized corneal matrix-based bioprinted construct can fulfill the required biological functionality but is limited by the lack of mechanical stiffness. Additionally, from a biophysical standpoint, it is necessary for an ideal corneal substitute to mimic the anisotropy of the cornea from the central optic zone to the surrounding periphery. In this study, we enhanced the mechanical robustness of decellularized cornea matrix (DCM) hydrogel by blending it with another natural polymer, sonicated silk fibroin solution in a defined ratio. Although hybrid hydrogel has an increased complex modulus than DCM hydrogel, it has a lower in vitro degradation rate and increased opaqueness due to the presence of crystalline beta-sheet conformation within the hydrogel. Therefore, we used this multi-material bioink-based approach to fabricate a corneal stromal equivalent where the outer peripheral corneal rim was printed with a mechanically robust polymeric blend of DCM and sonicated silk fibroin and the central optic zone was printed with only DCM. The bioprinted corneal stroma thus maintained its structural integrity and did not break when lifted with forceps. The two different bioinks were encapsulated with human limbus-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hLMSC) individually and 3D bioprinted in different patterns (concentric and parallel) to attain a native-like structure in terms of architecture and transparency. Thus, the bilayer cornea constructs maintained high cell viability and expressed keratocyte core proteins indicating optimal functionality. This approach helped to gain insight into bioprinting corneas with heterogeneous mechanical property without disturbing the structural clarity of the central optic zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anwesha Ghosh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy 502284, Telangana, India
| | - Ashis Kumar Bera
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy 502284, Telangana, India
| | - Vivek Singh
- Centre Ocular Regeneration, Prof. Brien Holden Eye Research Centre L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad 500034, Telangana, India
| | - Sayan Basu
- Centre Ocular Regeneration, Prof. Brien Holden Eye Research Centre L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad 500034, Telangana, India
| | - Falguni Pati
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy 502284, Telangana, India.
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2
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Zhang MY, Wei TT, Han C, Tan CY, Xie TH, Cai J, Yao Y, Zhu L. YAP O-GlcNAcylation contributes to corneal epithelial cell ferroptosis under cigarette smoke exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 360:124764. [PMID: 39154884 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Cigarette smoke (CS) is an important indoor air pollutant associated with an increased risk of ocular surface disease. As the eye's outermost layer, the cornea is highly sensitive to air pollutants like CS. However, the specific mechanisms linking CS exposure to corneal dysfunction have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we found that CS exposure damages corneal epithelial cells, accompanied by increased iron (Fe2+) levels and lipid peroxidation, both hallmarks of ferroptosis. Ferroptosis inhibitors, including Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) and Deferoxamine mesylate (DFO), protect against CS-induced cell damage. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we investigated how CS affects iron and lipid metabolism. Our results showed that CS could upregulate intracellular iron levels by increasing TFRC expression and promote lipid peroxidation by increasing ACSL4 expression. Silencing ACSL4 or TFRC expression prevented CS-induced ferroptosis. Furthermore, we found that the upregulation of TFRC and ACSL4 was driven by increased YAP transcription. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of YAP effectively prevented corneal epithelial cell ferroptosis under CS stimulation. Additionally, our results suggest that CS exposure could increase O-GlcNAc transferase activity, leading to YAP O-GlcNAcylation. This glycosylation of YAP interfered with its K48-linked ubiquitination, resulting in YAP stabilization. Collectively, we found that CS exposure induces corneal epithelial cell ferroptosis via the YAP O-GlcNAcylation, and provide evidence that CS exposure is a strong risk factor for ocular surface disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Yuan Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Ting-Ting Wei
- Center of Clinical Research, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Cheng Han
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Cheng-Ye Tan
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Tian-Hua Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jiping Cai
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yong Yao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
| | - Lingpeng Zhu
- Center of Clinical Research, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
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3
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Hashimoto Y, Negishi J, Funamoto S, Kimura T, Kobayashi H, Oshika T, Kishida A. Preparation, physico-biochemical characterization, and proteomic analysis of highly transparent corneal extracellular matrices for lamellar keratoplasty and tissue-engineered cornea construction. Mater Today Bio 2024; 28:101241. [PMID: 39328788 PMCID: PMC11426139 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.101241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Corneal opacity and deformation, which often require corneal transplantation for treatment, are among the leading causes of monocular blindness. To restore corneal clarity and integrity, there is a need for an artificial stroma that not only matches the transparency of donated human cornea but also effectively integrates to the corneal tissue. In this study, a transparent decellularized cornea was successfully developed using the high hydrostatic pressure method with processing conditions optimized for corneal decellularization. Biochemical analyses demonstrated the effective removal of cellular components from the transparent decellularized corneas, while preserving collagen and glycosaminoglycans. Proteome analysis also revealed that core matrisome and matrisome-associated proteins remained following decellularization, similar to the composition observed in untreated corneas. The light transmittance of the transparent decellularized corneas was 86.4 ± 1.5 % in the visible region, comparable to that of donated human corneas. No complications, such as angiogenesis, were observed following interlamellar corneal transplantation in rabbits. The grafts were almost imperceptible immediately following surgery and achieved complete transparency within a few days, becoming indistinguishable even under a microscope. The transparent decellularized cornea presented here has promising potential as a material for application in lamellar keratoplasty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihide Hashimoto
- Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan
| | - Jun Negishi
- Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan
- Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 3-15-1 Tokida, Ueda, Nagano, 386-8567, Japan
| | - Seiichi Funamoto
- Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Kimura
- Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Life Science, Toyo University, 48-1 Oka, Asaka-shi, Saitama, 351-8510, Japan
| | - Hisatoshi Kobayashi
- Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Oshika
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Akio Kishida
- Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan
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4
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Yang Q, Ju G, He Y. Corneal densitometry: New evaluation indicator for corneal diseases. Surv Ophthalmol 2024:S0039-6257(24)00122-X. [PMID: 39326741 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 09/19/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
Corneal densitometry (CD) is one of the biological properties of the cornea that can visualize the morphology of the cornea and determine the degree of corneal transparency. At present, it is an emerging metric that has shown promise in various clinical diagnosis and evaluation of eye diseases and surgeries. We introduce the different methodologies used to measure CD. Furthermore, we systematically categorize the diagnostic value of CD into high, medium, and low levels based on its clinical significance. By analyzing a wide range of conditions, including keratoconus, postrefractive surgery changes, and other corneal pathologies, we assess the utility of CD in each context. We also discuss the potential implications of these classifications for disease monitoring and prognosis evaluation. Our review underscores the importance of integrating CD assessments into routine clinical practice to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of diagnostic processes for cornea-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun,130041, Jilin Province, China; The Second Clinical Medical College of Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, Jilin Province, China
| | - Gen Ju
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baoji People's Hospital, Baoji, 721000, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yuxi He
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun,130041, Jilin Province, China.
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5
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Akbari M, Mobasheri H, Noorizadeh F, Daryabari SH, Dini L. Static magnetic field effects on the secondary structure and elasticity of collagen molecules; a possible biophysical approach to treat keratoconus. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 733:150726. [PMID: 39317114 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Revised: 09/15/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
Type I collagen is among the major extracellular proteins that play a significant role in the maintenance of the cornea's structural integrity and is essential in cell adhesion, differentiation, growth, and integrity. Here, we investigated the effect of 300 mT Static Magnetic Field (300 mT SMF) on the structure and molecular properties of acid-solubilized collagens (ASC) isolated from the rat tail tendon. The SMF effects at molecular and atomic levels were investigated by various biophysical approaches like Circular Dichroism Spectropolarimetery (CD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Zetasizer light Scattering, and Rheological assay. Exposure of isolated type I collagen to 300 mT SMF retained its triple helix. The elasticity of collagen molecules and the keratoconus (KCN) cornea treated with SMF decreased significantly after 5 min and slightly after 10, 15, and 20 min of treatments. The exposure to 300 mT SMF shifted the Amid I bond random coil to antiparallel wave number from 1647 to 1631 cm-1. The pH of the 300 mT SMF treated collagen solution increased by about 25 %. The treatment of the KCN corneas with 300 mT SMF decreased their elasticity significantly. The promising results of the effects of 300 mT SMF on the collagen molecules and KCN cornea propose a novel biophysical approach capable of manipulating the collagen's elasticity, surface charges, electrostatic interactions, cross binding, network formation and fine structure. Therefore, SMF treatment may be considered as a novel non-invasive, direct, non-chemical and fast therapeutic and manipulative means to treat KCN cornea where the deviated physico-chemical status of collagen molecules cause deformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Akbari
- Laboratory of Membrane Biophysics and Macromolecules, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Iran.
| | - Hamid Mobasheri
- Laboratory of Membrane Biophysics and Macromolecules, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Iran; Institute of Biomaterials of University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences (IBUTUMS), Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Seyed-Hashem Daryabari
- Basir Eye Health Research Center and Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Luciana Dini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology C. Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Clark S, Tapia Lishner SE, Marquez-Curtis LA, Elliott JAW. Using a triphasic model to describe the permeation of dimethyl sulfoxide in porcine corneoscleral discs. Cryobiology 2024; 117:104940. [PMID: 39004199 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2024.104940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Corneal blindness can be treated by keratoplasty but a lack of readily available corneal donor tissue for this procedure remains a challenge. Cryopreservation can facilitate the long-term storage of tissue but effective protocols for cryopreserving cornea have yet to be developed. Mathematical modelling can guide protocol design, but previously used models are not comprehensive. A comprehensive model should describe the tissue's shrink-swell response and the cryoprotectant concentration throughout the tissue during cryoprotectant loading. Such a model exists for articular cartilage based on a biomechanical triphasic approach. We explored the applicability of this model for describing cryoprotectant permeation in porcine corneas by fitting it to experimental data for the permeation of dimethyl sulfoxide into porcine corneoscleral discs. The model provided as good of a fit for corneoscleral discs data as it did for articular cartilage data, presenting promise for its use in the design of cryopreservation protocols for corneas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Clark
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Leah A Marquez-Curtis
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Janet A W Elliott
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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7
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Villegas L, Zvietcovich F, Marcos S, Birkenfeld JS. Revealing regional variations in scleral shear modulus in a rabbit eye model using multi-directional ultrasound optical coherence elastography. Sci Rep 2024; 14:21010. [PMID: 39251655 PMCID: PMC11384758 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71343-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanical properties of the sclera play a critical role in supporting the ocular structure and maintaining its shape. However, non-invasive measurements to quantify scleral biomechanics remain challenging. Recently introduced multi-directional optical coherence elastography (OCE) combined with an air-coupled ultrasound transducer for excitation of elastic surface waves was used to estimate phase speed and shear modulus in ex vivo rabbit globes (n = 7). The scleral phase speed (12.1 ± 3.2 m/s) was directional-dependent and higher than for corneal tissue (5.9 ± 1.4 m/s). In the tested locations, the sclera proved to be more anisotropic than the cornea by a factor of 11 in the maximum of modified planar anisotropy coefficient. The scleral shear moduli, estimated using a modified Rayleigh-Lamb wave model, showed significantly higher values in the circumferential direction (65.4 ± 31.9 kPa) than in meridional (22.5 ± 7.2 kPa); and in the anterior zone (27.3 ± 9.3 kPa) than in the posterior zone (17.8 ± 7.4 kPa). The multi-directional scanning approach allowed both quantification and radial mapping of estimated parameters within a single measurement. The results indicate that multi-directional OCE provides a valuable non-invasive assessment of scleral tissue properties that may be useful in the development of improved ocular models, the evaluation of potential myopia treatment strategies, and disease characterization and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lupe Villegas
- Instituto de Óptica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Fernando Zvietcovich
- Instituto de Óptica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru, Lima, Peru
| | - Susana Marcos
- Instituto de Óptica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
- The Center for Visual Science, The Institute of Optics, Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Judith S Birkenfeld
- Instituto de Óptica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
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8
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Memmi B, Knoeri J, Leveziel L, Georgeon C, Bouheraoua N, Borderie V. Analysis of corneal remodeling post-myopic photorefractive keratectomy with the WaveLight® EX500 excimer laser. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20888. [PMID: 39244630 PMCID: PMC11380682 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71604-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Refractive error is becoming a significant public health issue. Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) is a corneal surface surgical technique that removes the corneal epithelium before stromal photoablation by ultraviolet radiation from the Excimer laser. We designed a retrospective study to characterize corneal remodeling after myopic Photorefractive Keratectomy and assess the accuracy of laser-predicted ablation depth (AD). This study took place in 15-20 National Ophthalmology Hospital, Paris, France. 150 eyes with preoperative manifest spherical equivalent between - 10.00D and - 0.25D and cylinder < 3D, treated with the WaveLight® EX500 laser between 01/2019 and 01/2023, were followed for at least three months. The main outcome measurements were postoperative changes in epithelial (ET) and stromal (ST) thicknesses measured with spectral domain optical coherence tomography and mean simulated keratometry (SimK) assessed with corneal topography. The central ET significantly decreased at M1, increased over the preoperative value from M1 to M6, and stabilized after M6. The increase in central ET after M1 was associated with an increase in mean SimK (r = 0.34). The achieved AD was 7.9 ± 8.0 µm greater than the laser-predicted AD. Stromal over-ablation was significantly and independently associated with myopia > 6D preoperative mean SimK > 44D and transepithelial procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Memmi
- Groupe de Recherche Clinique #32, Transplantation Et Thérapies Innovantes de La Cornée, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital National des 15-20, Paris, France
| | - Juliette Knoeri
- Groupe de Recherche Clinique #32, Transplantation Et Thérapies Innovantes de La Cornée, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital National des 15-20, Paris, France
| | - Loïc Leveziel
- Groupe de Recherche Clinique #32, Transplantation Et Thérapies Innovantes de La Cornée, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital National des 15-20, Paris, France
| | - Cristina Georgeon
- Groupe de Recherche Clinique #32, Transplantation Et Thérapies Innovantes de La Cornée, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital National des 15-20, Paris, France
| | - Nacim Bouheraoua
- Groupe de Recherche Clinique #32, Transplantation Et Thérapies Innovantes de La Cornée, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital National des 15-20, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Borderie
- Groupe de Recherche Clinique #32, Transplantation Et Thérapies Innovantes de La Cornée, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital National des 15-20, Paris, France.
- Service d'ophtalmologie 5, Hôpital National des 15-20, 28 Rue de Charenton, 75012, Paris, France.
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Deng Y, Li L, Xu J, Yao Y, Ding J, Wang L, Luo C, Yang W, Li L. A biomimetic human disease model of bacterial keratitis using a cornea-on-a-chip system. Biomater Sci 2024. [PMID: 39233608 DOI: 10.1039/d4bm00833b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial keratitis is a common form of inflammation caused by the bacterial invasion of the corneal stroma after trauma. In extreme cases, it can lead to severe visual impairment or even blindness; therefore, timely medical intervention is imperative. Unfortunately, widespread misuse of antibiotics has led to the development of drug resistance. In recent years, organ-on-chips that integrate multiple cell co-cultures have extensive applications in fundamental research and drug screening. In this study, immortalized human corneal epithelial cells and primary human corneal fibroblasts were co-cultured on a porous polydimethylsiloxane membrane to create a cornea-on-a-chip model. The developed multilayer epithelium closely mimicked clinical conditions, demonstrating high structural resemblance and repeatability. By introducing a consistently defective epithelium and bacterial infection using the space-occupying method, we successfully established an in vitro model of bacterial keratitis using S. aureus. We validate this model by evaluating the efficacy of antibiotics, such as levofloxacin, tobramycin, and chloramphenicol, through simultaneously observing the reactions of bacteria and the two cell types to these antibiotics. Our study has revealed the barrier function of epithelium of the model and differentiated efficacy of three drugs in terms of bactericidal activity, reducing cellular apoptosis, and mitigating scar formation. Altogether, the cornea on chip enables the assessment of ocular antibiotics, distinguishing the impact on corneal cells and structural integrity. This study introduced a biomimetic in vitro disease model to evaluate drug efficacy and provided significant insights into the extensive effects of antibiotics on diverse cell populations within the cornea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudan Deng
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Lingjun Li
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Yili Yao
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Jiangtao Ding
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Lei Wang
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Chunxiong Luo
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Lingli Li
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Eye Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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10
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Cheng KKW, Fingerhut L, Duncan S, Prajna NV, Rossi AG, Mills B. In vitro and ex vivo models of microbial keratitis: Present and future. Prog Retin Eye Res 2024; 102:101287. [PMID: 39004166 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2024.101287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Microbial keratitis (MK) is an infection of the cornea, caused by bacteria, fungi, parasites, or viruses. MK leads to significant morbidity, being the fifth leading cause of blindness worldwide. There is an urgent requirement to better understand pathogenesis in order to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes. Many in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo MK models have been developed and implemented to meet this aim. Here, we present current in vitro and ex vivo MK model systems, examining their varied design, outputs, reporting standards, and strengths and limitations. Major limitations include their relative simplicity and the perceived inability to study the immune response in these MK models, an aspect widely accepted to play a significant role in MK pathogenesis. Consequently, there remains a dependence on in vivo models to study this aspect of MK. However, looking to the future, we draw from the broader field of corneal disease modelling, which utilises, for example, three-dimensional co-culture models and dynamic environments observed in bioreactors and organ-on-a-chip scenarios. These remain unexplored in MK research, but incorporation of these approaches will offer further advances in the field of MK corneal modelling, in particular with the focus of incorporation of immune components which we anticipate will better recapitulate pathogenesis and yield novel findings, therefore contributing to the enhancement of MK outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin Kah Wai Cheng
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Leonie Fingerhut
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sheelagh Duncan
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - N Venkatesh Prajna
- Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery Services, Aravind Eye Hospital and Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Adriano G Rossi
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bethany Mills
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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Visalli F, Fava F, Capobianco M, Musa M, D'Esposito F, Russo A, Scollo D, Longo A, Gagliano C, Zeppieri M. Innovative Bioscaffolds in Stem Cell and Regenerative Therapies for Corneal Pathologies. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:859. [PMID: 39329601 PMCID: PMC11428434 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11090859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Corneal diseases, which can result in substantial visual impairment and loss of vision, are an important worldwide health issue. The aim of this review was to investigate the novel application of bioscaffolds in stem cell and regenerative treatments for the treatment of corneal disorders. The current literature reports that organic and artificial substances create bioscaffolds that imitate the inherent structure of the cornea, facilitating the attachment, growth, and specialization of stem cells. Sophisticated methods such as electrospinning, 3D bioprinting, and surface modification have been reported to enhance the characteristics of the scaffold. These bioscaffolds have been shown to greatly improve the survival of stem cells and facilitate the regrowth of corneal tissue in both laboratory and live animal experiments. In addition, the incorporation of growth factors and bioactive compounds within the scaffolds can promote a favorable milieu for corneal regeneration. To summarize, the advancement of these groundbreaking bioscaffolds presents a hopeful treatment strategy for the regeneration of the cornea, which has the potential to enhance the results for individuals suffering from corneal disorders. This study highlights the possibility of utilizing the fields of biomaterials science and stem cell treatment to tackle medical demands that have not yet been satisfied in the field of ophthalmology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Visalli
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Federico Fava
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Matteo Capobianco
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Mutali Musa
- Department of Optometry, University of Benin, Benin City 300238, Edo State, Nigeria
| | - Fabiana D'Esposito
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
- Imperial College Ophthalmic Research Group (ICORG) Unit, Imperial College, 153-173 Marylebone Rd., London NW1 5QH, UK
| | - Andrea Russo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Davide Scollo
- Eye Clinic Catania University San Marco Hospital, Viale Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Longo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Caterina Gagliano
- Eye Clinic Catania University San Marco Hospital, Viale Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, 95121 Catania, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Enna "Kore", Piazza dell'Università, 94100 Enna, Italy
| | - Marco Zeppieri
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Udine, p.le S. Maria della Misericordia 15, 33100 Udine, Italy
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Cui G, Di Y, Yang S, Chen Y, Li Y, Chen D. Proteomic analysis reveals key differences in pro-stromal corneal tissue between highly myopic males and females. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1406748. [PMID: 39219796 PMCID: PMC11361967 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1406748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Nowadays, myopia has become a highly prevalent disease globally, especially in East Asia. Epidemiological studies have found that there may be sex differences in the occurrence and progression of myopia, with females having a higher incidence of myopia and higher risk of myopia progression. The purpose of this study was to explore the sex differences in myopic cornea using corneal stroma removed by small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery. Methods The corneal stroma of females with high myopia (FH) and males with high myopia (MH) were subjected to proteomic assays. Proteomic-related data were statistically analyzed using software such as MaxQuan, KAAS, Proteome Discovery, etc. The total number of proteins in the cornea and the proteins specifically expressed in the two groups were counted, and the differentially expressed proteins in the two groups were identified by expression fold change >2 and p-value <0.05, and volcano plots were constructed, and functional enrichment analysis, subcellular organelle analysis, and molecular interaction were implemented. Results Ten samples from each group were analyzed. Twenty-seven proteins were down-regulated and 27 proteins were up-regulated in the FH group, of which 23 proteins were up-regulated in the range of 2-10-fold and 4 proteins were up-regulated in the range of >10-fold. Comparative proteomic analysis of the cornea of male and female patients with high myopia revealed that the expression of corneal extracellular matrix and collagen I, III, V, and VIII-associated proteins were increased in the cornea of female patients, and the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad pathway was an important pathway obtained by functional analysis. Conclusion Comparative proteomic analysis of cornea from male and female patients with high myopia revealed increased expression of proteins related to extracellular matrix and collagen I, III, V, and VIII in female patients, and the TGF-β/Smad pathway was an important pathway obtained from the functional analysis, suggesting that extracellular matrix remodeling and collagen fiber synthesis may be more active in the cornea of female patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Cui
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Di
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Youxin Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Di Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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13
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Sun Y, Sha Y, Yang J, Fu H, Hou X, Li Z, Xie Y, Wang G. Collagen is crucial target protein for scleral remodeling and biomechanical change in myopia progression and control. Heliyon 2024; 10:e35313. [PMID: 39170348 PMCID: PMC11336648 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, the prevalence of myopia has been on the rise globally, attributed to changes in living environments and lifestyles. This increase in myopia has become a significant public health concern. High myopia can result in thinning of the sclera and localized ectasia of the posterior sclera, which is the primary risk factor for various eye diseases and significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Therefore, it is essential to explore effective prevention strategies and programs for individuals with myopia. Collagen serves as the principal molecule in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of scleral tissue, consisting of irregular collagen fibrils. Collagen plays a crucial role in myopia progression and control. During the development of myopia, the sclera undergoes a thinning process which is primarily influenced by collagen expression decreased and remodeled, thus leading to a decrease in its biomechanical properties. Improving collagen expression and promoting collagen crosslinking can slow down the progression of myopia. In light of the above, improving collagen expression or enhancing the mechanical properties of collagen fibers via medication or surgery represents a promising approach to control myopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China
| | - Yaru Sha
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China
| | - Hong Fu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China
| | - Xinyu Hou
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China
| | - Zhuozheng Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China
| | - Yongfang Xie
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China
| | - Guohui Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China
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14
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Sánchez-Tena MÁ, Pérez CM, Villa-Collar C, Alvarez-Peregrina C. A bibliometric and citation network analysis of crosslinking. Eur J Ophthalmol 2024:11206721241272177. [PMID: 39140888 DOI: 10.1177/11206721241272177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Purpose: Research on crosslinking has focused mainly on trying to slow the progression of keratoconus. The objective of this bibliometric analysis is to determine the relationships between the different publications and authors. As well as to identify the different areas of research on crosslinking. Methods: Web of Science (WOS) was the database for the search of publications for the period 1972 to December 2023, using the terms: crosslinking, cross-linking, ocular, vision, visual, cornea, ectasia AND Keratoconus. The analysis of the publication was performed using the CitNetExplorer, VOSviewer and CiteSpace software. Results: 7161 publications and 59415 citation networks were found. The year with the most publications is 2021, a total of 571 (7.97%) publications and 135 citation networks. The most cited publication was "Riboflavin/ultraviolet-a-induced collagen crosslinking for the treatment of keratoconus" published by Wollensak et al. in 2003, with a citation index of 1780. Using the Clustering function, five groups were found that cover the main research areas in this field: keratoconus, corneal transplantation, cataracts, corneal inflammation and axial growth. Conclusion: The treatment of keratoconus continues to be the topic of interest in this area of research. However, in recent years there has been an increase in research on how crosslinking helps to slow down axial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Tena
- Optometría y Vision, Complutense University of Madrid Faculty of Optics and Optometry, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Cesar Villa-Collar
- Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid SLU, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Alvarez-Peregrina
- Optometry and Vision, Complutense University of Madrid Faculty of Optics and Optometry, Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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15
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Zhurenkov KE, Lobov AA, Bildyug NB, Alexander-Sinclair EI, Darvish DM, Lomert EV, Kriger DV, Zainullina BR, Chabina AS, Khorolskaya JI, Perepletchikova DA, Blinova MI, Mikhailova NA. Focal Adhesion Maturation Responsible for Behavioral Changes in Human Corneal Stromal Fibroblasts on Fibrillar Substrates. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8601. [PMID: 39201288 PMCID: PMC11354758 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The functioning of the human cornea heavily relies on the maintenance of its extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanical properties. Within this context, corneal stromal fibroblasts (CSFs) are essential, as they are responsible for remodeling the corneal ECM. In this study, we used a decellularized human amniotic membrane (dHAM) and a custom fibrillar collagen film (FCF) to explore the effects of fibrillar materials on human CSFs. Our findings indicate that substrates like FCF can enhance the early development of focal adhesions (FAs), leading to the activation and propagation of mechanotransduction signals. This is primarily achieved through FAK autophosphorylation and YAP1 nuclear translocation pathways. Remarkably, inhibiting FAK autophosphorylation negated the observed changes. Proteome analysis further confirmed the central role of FAs in mechanotransduction propagation in CSFs cultured on FCF. This analysis also highlighted complex signaling pathways, including chromatin epigenetic modifications, in response to fibrillar substrates. Overall, our research highlights the potential pathways through which CSFs undergo behavioral changes when exposed to fibrillar substrates, identifying FAs as essential mechanotransducers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill E Zhurenkov
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
- Department of Cytology and Histology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199032, Russia
| | - Arseniy A Lobov
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Natalya B Bildyug
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | | | - Diana M Darvish
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Ekaterina V Lomert
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Daria V Kriger
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Bozhana R Zainullina
- Centre for Molecular and Cell Technologies, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199032, Russia
| | - Alina S Chabina
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Julia I Khorolskaya
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | | | - Miralda I Blinova
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Natalia A Mikhailova
- Institute of Cytology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
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16
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Upasani D, Daigavane S. Phacoemulsification Techniques and Their Effects on Corneal Endothelial Cells and Visual Acuity: A Review of "Direct-Chop" and "Stop-and-Chop" Approaches Under Topical Anesthesia. Cureus 2024; 16:e66587. [PMID: 39258086 PMCID: PMC11385713 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.66587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Phacoemulsification is a widely adopted technique in cataract surgery that offers a minimally invasive approach to lens removal and intraocular lens implantation. Among the various methods of phacoemulsification, "direct-chop" and "stop-and-chop" techniques are particularly notable for their efficiency and safety profiles. This review aims to evaluate the effects of these two techniques on corneal endothelial cells and visual acuity, specifically under topical anesthesia. Cataract surgery outcomes hinge on the preservation of corneal endothelial cells and the achievement of optimal visual acuity. Endothelial cell loss can lead to corneal decompensation, while visual acuity is a primary measure of surgical success. The "direct-chop" technique involves the immediate chopping of the lens nucleus after groove creation, reducing phacoemulsification time and energy. Conversely, the "stop-and-chop" technique incorporates a central groove before chopping, offering increased control and safety. This review synthesizes current research and clinical studies to compare these techniques, focusing on their respective impacts on endothelial cell count and postoperative visual acuity. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, considers the role of surgeon experience, phacoemulsification energy, and anterior chamber stability, and assesses patient outcomes under topical anesthesia. The findings aim to provide insights that can guide surgeons in selecting the most appropriate technique for their patients, ultimately enhancing surgical outcomes by ensuring the preservation of corneal health and the achievement of superior visual acuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devwrath Upasani
- Ophthalmology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
| | - Sachin Daigavane
- Ophthalmology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
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17
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Mounir A, Mohamed Mostafa E, Amer I, Abdelgbar AA, Osman HO, Ahmed MA, Ziada H, Ali El Gabbar AG, Hassan MA, Mahmoud A. Corneal densitometry changes after femtosecond laser-assisted intracorneal ring segments implantation in keratoconus. MEDICAL HYPOTHESIS, DISCOVERY & INNOVATION OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 13:27-34. [PMID: 38978823 PMCID: PMC11227663 DOI: 10.51329/mehdiophthal1491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Background Intrastromal corneal ring segments are commonly implanted in the corneas of eyes with mild-to-moderate keratoconus; however, changes in corneal densitometry (CD) after implantation are a matter of debate in the current literature. We evaluated the changes in CD 1 and 3 months after femtosecond laser-assisted Keraring implantation. Methods This retrospective, non-comparative, multicenter, case series study included patients with keratoconus who underwent femtosecond laser-assisted implantation of double segments with 90° and 160° arc lengths or two 160° arc length Keraring segments. Demographic and baseline clinical ophthalmic data were recorded. Corneal topography and tomography data acquired using a Pentacam HR Scheimpflug tomography system (Pentacam High Resolution; Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany) with a best-fit sphere were used as a reference surface. Using the Pentacam HR, CD measurements were acquired over a corneal area of 12 mm in total and at four concentric zones (0-2, 2-6, 6-10, and 10-12 mm) of three corneal stromal depths: 120 μm of the anterior corneal stromal layer, 60 μm of the posterior corneal stromal layer, and the central layer of stroma lying between these two layers. Results We included 40 eyes of 40 patients, including 8 (20%) male and 32 (80%) female individuals, with a mean (standard deviation) age of 21.0 (6.4) years. We observed a significant improvement in the topographic values of steep keratometry (K), flat K, maximum K, and corneal astigmatism (all P < 0.05), but not in the mean K, thinnest corneal pachymetry, corneal thickness at the apex, back elevation, or front elevation (all P > 0.05). The mean total anterior, central, and posterior CD differed significantly among the time points, with a significant increase from the preoperative to the 1-month and 3-month postoperative visits (all P < 0.05) and no difference between those of the 1-month and 3-month postoperative visits (all P > 0.05). The mean CD for the anterior layer in the central, paracentral, and mid-peripheral zones, and the central layer in all four zones, differed significantly among time points, with a significant increase from the preoperative to the 1-month and 3-month postoperative visits (all P < 0.05), which remained unchanged from the 1-month to the 3-month postoperative visit (all P < 0.05), except for the central 2-6-mm zone, which decreased significantly from the 1-month to the 3-month postoperative visit (P < 0.001). The CD of the central 10-12-mm zone did not differ significantly in each pairwise comparison (all P > 0.05). In contrast, CD for the posterior layer in the paracentral zone decreased significantly from the preoperative to the 1-month and 3-month postoperative visits but increased, to a lesser extent, from the 1-month to the 3-month postoperative visit (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Femtosecond laser-assisted Keraring implantation significantly changes CD, with improvement in most topography parameters. Further longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are required to verify these preliminary findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr Mounir
- Ophthalmology Department, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Engy Mohamed Mostafa
- Ophthalmology Department, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim Amer
- Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut branch, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
| | | | - Hamdy Osman Osman
- Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut branch, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
| | | | - Hossam Ziada
- Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo branch, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Mohamed Alsadawy Hassan
- Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo branch, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Alaa Mahmoud
- Ophthalmology Department, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
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18
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Yang SN, Shi Y, Berggren PO. The anterior chamber of the eye technology and its anatomical, optical, and immunological bases. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:881-929. [PMID: 38206586 PMCID: PMC11381035 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00024.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The anterior chamber of the eye (ACE) is distinct in its anatomy, optics, and immunology. This guarantees that the eye perceives visual information in the context of physiology even when encountering adverse incidents like inflammation. In addition, this endows the ACE with the special nursery bed iris enriched in vasculatures and nerves. The ACE constitutes a confined space enclosing an oxygen/nutrient-rich, immune-privileged, and less stressful milieu as well as an optically transparent medium. Therefore, aside from visual perception, the ACE unexpectedly serves as an excellent transplantation site for different body parts and a unique platform for noninvasive, longitudinal, and intravital microimaging of different grafts. On the basis of these merits, the ACE technology has evolved from the prototypical through the conventional to the advanced version. Studies using this technology as a versatile biomedical research platform have led to a diverse range of basic knowledge and in-depth understanding of a variety of cells, tissues, and organs as well as artificial biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, and abiotic substances. Remarkably, the technology turns in vivo dynamic imaging of the morphological characteristics, organotypic features, developmental fates, and specific functions of intracameral grafts into reality under physiological and pathological conditions. Here we review the anatomical, optical, and immunological bases as well as technical details of the ACE technology. Moreover, we discuss major achievements obtained and potential prospective avenues for this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Nian Yang
- The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yue Shi
- The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per-Olof Berggren
- The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Yang M, Tian H, Xue C, Li J. Diagnostic value of corneal optical densitometry in keratoconus. Int Ophthalmol 2024; 44:294. [PMID: 38943020 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-024-03212-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the clinical significance of the correlation between optical densitometry and both biomechanical and morphological parameters in keratoconus (KC) and to verify the diagnostic value of optical densitometry in KC. METHOD This cross-sectional study included 436 eyes of 295 patients with KC. Corneal optical densitometry, morphological parameters and biomechanical parameters were measured. Spearman's correlation analysis was employed to investigate the association between optical densitometry and both biomechanical and morphological parameters. RESULT Optical densitometry of the anterior (0-2 mm and 2-6 mm), central (0-2 mm), posterior (2-6 mm) and total (2-6 mm) layers correlated positively with SPA1, while the posterior layer (0-2 mm) correlated negatively. Optical densitometry of the anterior layers 2-6 mm, 6-10 mm, and the central layer 6-10 mm negatively affected AL1, while the posterior layer 0-2 mm positively affected it. Optical densitometry of the anterior, central, and posterior layers 0-2 mm and 2-6 mm positively influenced the morphological parameters K1F, K2F, KmF and the absolute values of K1B, K2B, KmB. Optical densitometry of the center (0-2 mm) and posterior (2-6 mm) layers negatively influenced TCT. Optical densitometry of the anterior (0-2 mm and 2-6 mm), center (0-2 mm), posterior (2-6 mm) and total (2-6 mm) layers correlated positively with ACE and PCE, whereas the posterior layer (0-2 mm) correlated negatively. CONCLUSION Optical densitometry was correlated with biomechanical and morphological parameters in keratoconus, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic indicator for assessing keratoconus progression and treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Yang
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - He Tian
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chao Xue
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Eye Institute, Tianjin, China.
- Nankai University Afliated Eye Hospital, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Jing Li
- Shaanxi Eye Hospital, Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an Fourth Hospital), Afliated People's Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an, 710004, China.
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20
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Dewey H, Mahmood N, Abello SM, Sultana N, Jones J, Gluck JM, Budhathoki-Uprety J. Development of Optical Nanosensors for Detection of Potassium Ions and Assessment of Their Biocompatibility with Corneal Epithelial Cells. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:27338-27348. [PMID: 38947780 PMCID: PMC11209934 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Imbalance of potassium-ion levels in the body can lead to physiological dysfunctions, which can adversely impact cardiovascular, neurological, and ocular health. Thus, quantitative measurement of potassium ions in a biological system is crucial for personal health monitoring. Nanomaterials can be used to aid in disease diagnosis and monitoring therapies. Optical detection technologies along with molecular probes emitting within the near-infrared (NIR) spectral range are advantageous for biological measurements due to minimal interference from light scattering and autofluorescence within this spectral window. Herein, we report the development of NIR fluorescent nanosensors, which can quantitatively detect potassium ions under biologically relevant conditions. The optical nanosensors were developed by using photoluminescent single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) encapsulated in polymers that contain potassium chelating moieties. The nanosensors, polystyrene sulfonate [PSS-SWCNTs, nanosensor 1 (NS1)] or polystyrene-co-polystyrene sulfonate [PS-co-PSS-SWCNTs, nanosensor 2 (NS2)], exhibited dose-dependent optical responses to potassium ion level. The nanosensors demonstrated their biocompatibility via the evaluation of cellular viability, proliferation assays, and expression of cytokeratin 12 in corneal epithelial cells (CEpiCs). Interestingly, the nanosensors' optical characteristics and their responses toward CEpiCs were influenced by encapsulating polymers. NS2 exhibited a 10 times higher fluorescence intensity along with a higher signal-to-noise ratio as compared to NS1. NS2 showed an optical response to potassium ion level in solution within 5 min of addition and a limit of detection of 0.39 mM. Thus, NS2 was used for detailed investigations including potassium ion level detection in serum. NS2 showed a consistent response to potassium ions at the lower millimolar range in serum. These results on optical sensing along with biocompatibility show a great potential for nanotube sensors in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sofia Mariapaz Abello
- Department of Textile Engineering,
Chemistry and Science, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Nigar Sultana
- Department of Textile Engineering,
Chemistry and Science, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Jaron Jones
- Department of Textile Engineering,
Chemistry and Science, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Jessica M. Gluck
- Department of Textile Engineering,
Chemistry and Science, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Januka Budhathoki-Uprety
- Department of Textile Engineering,
Chemistry and Science, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
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21
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Trujillo Cubillo L, Gurdal M, Zeugolis DI. Corneal fibrosis: From in vitro models to current and upcoming drug and gene medicines. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 209:115317. [PMID: 38642593 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Fibrotic diseases are characterised by myofibroblast differentiation, uncontrolled pathological extracellular matrix accumulation, tissue contraction, scar formation and, ultimately tissue / organ dysfunction. The cornea, the transparent tissue located on the anterior chamber of the eye, is extremely susceptible to fibrotic diseases, which cause loss of corneal transparency and are often associated with blindness. Although topical corticosteroids and antimetabolites are extensively used in the management of corneal fibrosis, they are associated with glaucoma, cataract formation, corneoscleral melting and infection, imposing the need of far more effective therapies. Herein, we summarise and discuss shortfalls and recent advances in in vitro models (e.g. transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) / ascorbic acid / interleukin (IL) induced) and drug (e.g. TGF-β inhibitors, epigenetic modulators) and gene (e.g. gene editing, gene silencing) therapeutic strategies in the corneal fibrosis context. Emerging therapeutical agents (e.g. neutralising antibodies, ligand traps, receptor kinase inhibitors, antisense oligonucleotides) that have shown promise in clinical setting but have not yet assessed in corneal fibrosis context are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Trujillo Cubillo
- Regenerative, Modular & Developmental Engineering Laboratory (REMODEL), Charles Institute of Dermatology, Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research and School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mehmet Gurdal
- Regenerative, Modular & Developmental Engineering Laboratory (REMODEL), Charles Institute of Dermatology, Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research and School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin, Ireland
| | - Dimitrios I Zeugolis
- Regenerative, Modular & Developmental Engineering Laboratory (REMODEL), Charles Institute of Dermatology, Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research and School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin, Ireland.
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22
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Xue Y, Xu P, Hu Y, Liu S, Yan R, Liu S, Li Y, Liu J, Fu T, Li Z. Stress systems exacerbate the inflammatory response after corneal abrasion in sleep-deprived mice via the IL-17 signaling pathway. Mucosal Immunol 2024; 17:323-345. [PMID: 38428739 DOI: 10.1016/j.mucimm.2024.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Sleep deprivation (SD) has a wide range of adverse health effects. However, the mechanisms by which SD influences corneal pathophysiology and its post-wound healing remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the basic physiological characteristics of the cornea in mice subjected to SD and determine the pathophysiological response to injury after corneal abrasion. Using a multi-platform water environment method as an SD model, we found that SD leads to disturbances of corneal proliferative, sensory, and immune homeostasis as well as excessive inflammatory response and delayed repair after corneal abrasion by inducing hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Pathophysiological changes in the cornea mainly occurred through the activation of the IL-17 signaling pathway. Blocking both adrenergic and glucocorticoid synthesis and locally neutralizing IL-17A significantly improved corneal homeostasis and the excessive inflammatory response and delay in wound repair following corneal injury in SD-treated mice. These results indicate that optimal sleep quality is essential for the physiological homeostasis of the cornea and its well-established repair process after injury. Additionally, these observations provide potential therapeutic targets to ameliorate SD-induced delays in corneal wound repair by inhibiting or blocking the activation of the stress system and its associated IL-17 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxia Xue
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pengyang Xu
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Pathology, Nanyang Second General Hospital, Nanyang City, Henan, China
| | - Yu Hu
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sijing Liu
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruyu Yan
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shutong Liu
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Li
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Liu
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Fu
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhijie Li
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Institute of Ophthalmology and Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University Medical School, Guangzhou, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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23
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Jin L, Zhang L, Yan C, Liu M, Dean DC, Liu Y. Corneal injury repair and the potential involvement of ZEB1. EYE AND VISION (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 11:20. [PMID: 38822380 PMCID: PMC11143703 DOI: 10.1186/s40662-024-00387-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
The cornea, consisting of three cellular and two non-cellular layers, is the outermost part of the eyeball and frequently injured by external physical, chemical, and microbial insults. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in the repair of corneal injuries. Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), an important transcription factor involved in EMT, is expressed in the corneal tissues. It regulates cell activities like migration, transformation, and proliferation, and thereby affects tissue inflammation, fibrosis, tumor metastasis, and necrosis by mediating various major signaling pathways, including transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. Dysfunction of ZEB1 would impair corneal tissue repair leading to epithelial healing delay, interstitial fibrosis, neovascularization, and squamous cell metaplasia. Understanding the mechanism underlying ZEB1 regulation of corneal injury repair will help us to formulate a therapeutic approach to enhance corneal injury repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Jin
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116033, China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116033, China
| | - Chunxiao Yan
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116033, China
| | - Mengxin Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116033, China
| | - Douglas C Dean
- James Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
| | - Yongqing Liu
- James Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
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24
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Goto H, Arima T, Takahashi A, Tobita Y, Nakano Y, Toda E, Shimizu A, Okamoto F. Trimebutine prevents corneal inflammation in a rat alkali burn model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12111. [PMID: 38802470 PMCID: PMC11130283 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61112-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Alkaline burns to the cornea lead to loss of corneal transparency, which is essential for normal vision. We used a rat corneal alkaline burn model to investigate the effect of ophthalmic trimebutine solution on healing wounds caused by alkaline burns. Trimebutine, an inhibitor of the high-mobility group box 1-receptor for advanced glycation end products, when topically applied to the burned cornea, suppressed macrophage infiltration in the early phase and neutrophil infiltration in the late phase at the wound site. It also inhibited neovascularization and myofibroblast development in the late phase. Furthermore, trimebutine effectively inhibited interleukin-1β expression in the injured cornea. It reduced scar formation by decreasing the expression of type III collagen. These findings suggest that trimebutine may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for corneal wounds, not only through its anti-inflammatory effects but also by preventing neovascularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Goto
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
- Department of Analytic Human Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
| | - Takeshi Arima
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
- Department of Analytic Human Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
| | - Akira Takahashi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
- Department of Analytic Human Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
| | - Yutaro Tobita
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
- Department of Analytic Human Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
| | - Yuji Nakano
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
- Department of Analytic Human Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
| | - Etsuko Toda
- Department of Analytic Human Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan
| | - Akira Shimizu
- Department of Analytic Human Pathology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
| | - Fumiki Okamoto
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
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25
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Simeroth S, Yu P. The role of lymphatic endothelial cell metabolism in lymphangiogenesis and disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2024; 11:1392816. [PMID: 38798921 PMCID: PMC11119333 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1392816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) line lymphatic vessels, which play an important role in the transport of lymph fluid throughout the human body. An organized lymphatic network develops via a process termed "lymphangiogenesis." During development, LECs respond to growth factor signaling to initiate the formation of a primary lymphatic vascular network. These LECs display a unique metabolic profile, preferring to undergo glycolysis even in the presence of oxygen. In addition to their reliance on glycolysis, LECs utilize other metabolic pathways such as fatty acid β-oxidation, ketone body oxidation, mitochondrial respiration, and lipid droplet autophagy to support lymphangiogenesis. This review summarizes the current understanding of metabolic regulation of lymphangiogenesis. Moreover, it highlights how LEC metabolism is implicated in various pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Summer Simeroth
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Pengchun Yu
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
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26
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Tjoa K, Nadhif MH, Utami SS, Kusuma SR, Astagiri PY, Adriono GA. Mechanical, optical, chemical, and biological evaluations of fish scale-derived scaffold for corneal replacements: A systematic review. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 267:131183. [PMID: 38580016 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Corneal blindness is commonly treated through corneal replacement with allogeneic corneal donors, which may face shortage. Regarding this issue, xenogeneic alternatives are explored. Fish scale-derived scaffolds (FSSs) are among the alternatives due to the lower risk of infection and abundant sources of raw materials. Unfortunately, the information about mechanical, optical, chemical, and biological performances of FSSs for corneal replacements is still scattered, as well as about the fabrication techniques. This study aims to gather scattered pieces of information about the mentioned performances and fabrication techniques of FSSs for corneal replacements. Sorted from four scientific databases and using the PRISMA checklist, eleven relevant articles are collected. FSSs are commonly fabricated using decellularization and decalcification processes, generating FSSs with parallel multilayers or crossed fibers with topographic microchannels. In the collected studies, similar mechanical properties of FSSs to native tissues are discovered, as well as good transparency, light remittance, but poorer refractive indexes than native tissues. Biological evaluations mostly discuss histology, cell proliferations, and immune responses on FSSs, while only a few studies examine the vascularization. No studies completed comprehensive evaluations on the four properties. The current progress of FSS developments demonstrates the potential of FSS use for corneal replacements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Tjoa
- Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Muhammad Hanif Nadhif
- Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia; Medical Technology Cluster, Indonesian Medical Education and Research Institute, Jakarta, Indonesia.
| | | | | | - Prasandhya Yusuf Astagiri
- Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia; Medical Technology Cluster, Indonesian Medical Education and Research Institute, Jakarta, Indonesia
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27
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Mekonnen TT, Zevallos-Delgado C, Hatami M, Singh M, Aglyamov SR, Larin KV. Acute alcohol consumption modulates corneal biomechanical properties as revealed by optical coherence elastography. J Biomech 2024; 169:112155. [PMID: 38761746 PMCID: PMC11285743 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2024.112155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Acute alcohol ingestion has been found to impact visual functions, including eye movement, but its effects on corneal biomechanical properties remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of acute alcohol consumption on corneal biomechanical properties using optical coherence elastography (OCE). An air-coupled ultrasound transducer induced elastic waves in mice corneas in vivo, and a high-resolution phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (OCT) system tracked the mechanical waves to quantify the elastic wave speed. In vivo measurements were performed on three groups of age- and gender-matched mice: control, placebo (administered saline), and alcohol (administered ethanol) groups. Longitudinal measurements were conducted over a one-hour period to assess acute temporal changes in wave speeds, which are associated with inherent biomechanical properties of the cornea. The results showed a significant decrease in wave speed for the alcohol group after 10 min of ingestion in comparison to pre-ingestion values (p = 0.0096), whereas the temporal wave speed changes for the placebo group were statistically insignificant (p = 0.076). In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes in elastic wave speed and corneal thickness. Furthermore, a significant difference was observed between the wave speeds of the placebo and alcohol groups at each measurement time point between 10 and 50 min (p < 0.05), though both groups exhibited a similar trend in corneal thickness change. The findings of this study have important implications for clinical assessments and research in corneal disorders, highlighting the potential of OCE as a valuable tool for evaluating such changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taye Tolu Mekonnen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Maryam Hatami
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Manmohan Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Salavat R Aglyamov
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kirill V Larin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
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28
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Vercammen H, Ondra M, Kotulova J, De La Hoz EC, Witters C, Jecmenova K, Le Compte M, Deben C, Ní Dhubhghaill S, Koppen C, Hajdúch M, Van den Bogerd B. "Keep on ROCKIn": Repurposed ROCK inhibitors to boost corneal endothelial regeneration. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 174:116435. [PMID: 38513591 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The global shortage of corneal endothelial graft tissue necessitates the exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies. Rho-associated protein kinase inhibitors (ROCKi), recognized for their regenerative potential in cardiology, oncology, and neurology, have shown promise in corneal endothelial regeneration. This study investigates the repurposing potential of additional ROCKi compounds. Through screening a self-assembled library of ROCKi on B4G12 corneal endothelial cells, we evaluated their dose-dependent effects on proliferation, migration, and toxicity using live-cell imaging. Nine ROCKi candidates significantly enhanced B4G12 proliferation compared to the basal growth rate. These candidates were further assessed for their potential to accelerate wound closure as another indicator for tissue regeneration capacity, with most demonstrating notable efficacy. To assess the potential impact of candidate ROCKi on key corneal endothelial cell markers related to cell proliferation, leaky tight junctions and ion efflux capacity, we analyzed the protein expression of cyclin E1, CDK2, p16, ZO-1 and Na+/K+-ATPase, respectively. Immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis confirmed the preservation of corneal endothelial markers post-treatment with ROCKi hits. However, notable cytoplasm enlargement and nuclear fragmentation were detected after the treatment with SR-3677 and Thiazovivin, indicating possible cellular stress. In compared parameters, Chroman-1 at a concentration of 10 nM outperformed other ROCKi, requiring significantly 1000-fold lower effective concentration than established ROCKi Y-27632 and Fasudil. Altogether, this study underscores the potential of repurposing ROCKi for treating corneal endothelial dysfunctions, offering a viable alternative to conventional grafting methods, and highlights Chroman-1 as a promising candidate structure for hit-to-lead development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Vercammen
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; DrugVision Lab, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Martin Ondra
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Kotulova
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | | | - Charissa Witters
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; DrugVision Lab, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Katerina Jecmenova
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | - Carina Koppen
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Bert Van den Bogerd
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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29
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Li ZB, Liu J, Xu YN, Sun XM, Peng YH, Zhao Q, Lin YA, Huang YR, Ren L. Hydrophilic, Porous, Fiber-Reinforced Collagen-Based Membrane for Corneal Repair. Macromol Biosci 2024; 24:e2300449. [PMID: 38178686 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202300449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Collagen membrane with outstanding biocompatibility exhibits immense potential in the field of corneal repair and reconstruction, but the poor mechanical properties limit its clinical application. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polymer widely explored for application in corneal reconstruction due to its excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility, easy processability, and flexibility. In this study, a PCL/collagen composite membrane with reinforced mechanical properties is developed. The membrane has a strong composite structure with collagen by utilizing a porous and hydrophilic PCL scaffold, maintaining its integrity even after immersion. The suture retention and mechanical tests demonstrate that compared with the pure collagen membrane, the prepared membrane has a greater tensile strength and twice the modulus of elasticity. Further, the suture retention strength is improved by almost two times. In addition, the membrane remains fully intact on the implant bed in an in vitro corneal defect model. Moreover, the membrane can be tightly sutured to a rabbit corneal defect, progressively achieve epithelialization, and remain unchanged during observation. Overall, the PCL/collagen composite membrane is a promising candidate as a suturable corneal restoration material in clinical keratoplasty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Biao Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Ying-Ni Xu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Min Sun
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Yue-Hai Peng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Bio-land Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510005, P. R. China
- Guangzhou Proud Seeing Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, 510300, P. R. China
| | - Qi Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Yong-An Lin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Yong-Rui Huang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Li Ren
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Bio-land Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510005, P. R. China
- Guangzhou Proud Seeing Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, 510300, P. R. China
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Yang D, Chen Z, Zhao W, Zhao J, Zhou X, Wang J. Characterization the corneal transparency profile in SMILE-treated myopic patients with densitometry: A 7-year cohort study. Indian J Ophthalmol 2024; 72:S429-S434. [PMID: 38317330 PMCID: PMC467034 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_1787_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate 7-year changes in corneal densitometry (CD) and its influencing factors following small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) for moderate to high myopia. METHODS A total of 32 patients (52 eyes) with a mean spherical equivalent (SE) refraction of -6.30 ± 1.30 D who underwent SMILE were recruited for this prospective study. Pre- and postoperative CD and corneal aberrations were measured by an oculus Pentacam system, and patients were followed up to 7 years. The CD evolution over time and its influencing factors were explored. RESULTS No complications were observed after SMILE. There was a significant time effect on postoperative CD ( P < 0.05). The CD values at the 0-to-2 and 2-to-6 mm of the anterior layer increased at the first day ( P < 0.05) and declined to baselines at 1 year postoperatively; after that, CD values at any zone and any corneal layer presented a decreasing trend over time (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that postoperative CD was positively correlated with age and optical zone (OZ), whereas negatively correlated with SE, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), and corneal aberrations (higher-order aberrations, Coma0 and Coma90) (all P < 0.05). Generalized estimating equation revealed that age, SE, CDVA, OZ, and Coma0 were the main factors influencing postoperative CD values (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION CD manifested a long-term decreasing trend in moderate to high myopia treated with SMILE. Its main influencing factors are age, SE, CDVA, OZ, and Coma0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Yang
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Shanghai, China
- Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhuoyi Chen
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Shanghai, China
| | - Wuxiao Zhao
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Shanghai, China
- Center for Optometry and Visual Science, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingtao Zhou
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Shanghai, China
| | - Jifang Wang
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Shanghai, China
- Department of Nursing, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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31
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Sugioka K, Nishida T, Murakami J, Itahashi M, Yunoki M, Kusaka S. Substance P promotes transforming growth factor-β-induced collagen synthesis in human corneal fibroblasts. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024; 326:C1482-C1493. [PMID: 38525537 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00084.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Corneal fibroblasts maintain homeostasis of the corneal stroma by mediating the synthesis and degradation of extracellular collagen, and these actions are promoted by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), respectively. The cornea is densely innervated with sensory nerve fibers that are not only responsible for sensation but also required for physiological processes such as tear secretion and wound healing. Loss or dysfunction of corneal nerves thus impairs corneal epithelial wound healing and can lead to neurotrophic keratopathy. The sensory neurotransmitter substance P (SP) promotes corneal epithelial wound healing by enhancing the stimulatory effects of growth factors and fibronectin. We have now investigated the role of SP in collagen metabolism mediated by human corneal fibroblasts in culture. Although SP alone had no effect on collagen synthesis or degradation by these cells, it promoted the stimulatory effect of TGF-β on collagen type I synthesis without affecting that of IL-1β on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1. This effect of SP on TGF-β-induced collagen synthesis was accompanied by activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and was attenuated by pharmacological inhibition of p38 or of the neurokinin-1 receptor. Our results thus implicate SP as a modulator of TGF-β-induced collagen type I synthesis by human corneal fibroblasts, and they suggest that loss of this function may contribute to the development of neurotrophic keratopathy.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study investigates the role of substance P (SP) in collagen metabolism mediated by human corneal fibroblasts in culture. We found that, although SP alone had no effect on collagen synthesis or degradation by corneal fibroblasts, it promoted the stimulatory effect of transforming growth factor-β on collagen type I synthesis without affecting that of interleukin-1β on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Sugioka
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kindai University Nara Hospital, Ikoma, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Japan
| | - Teruo Nishida
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kindai University Nara Hospital, Ikoma, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
- Division of Cornea and Ocular Surface, Ohshima Eye Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | | | - Mai Yunoki
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kindai University Nara Hospital, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Shunji Kusaka
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Japan
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van der Putten C, Sahin G, Grant R, D’Urso M, Giselbrecht S, Bouten CVC, Kurniawan NA. Dimensionality Matters: Exploiting UV-Photopatterned 2D and Two-Photon-Printed 2.5D Contact Guidance Cues to Control Corneal Fibroblast Behavior and Collagen Deposition. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:402. [PMID: 38671823 PMCID: PMC11048187 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11040402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In the event of disease or injury, restoration of the native organization of cells and extracellular matrix is crucial for regaining tissue functionality. In the cornea, a highly organized collagenous tissue, keratocytes can align along the anisotropy of the physical microenvironment, providing a blueprint for guiding the organization of the collagenous matrix. Inspired by this physiological process, anisotropic contact guidance cues have been employed to steer the alignment of keratocytes as a first step to engineer in vitro cornea-like tissues. Despite promising results, two major hurdles must still be overcome to advance the field. First, there is an enormous design space to be explored in optimizing cellular contact guidance in three dimensions. Second, the role of contact guidance cues in directing the long-term deposition and organization of extracellular matrix proteins remains unknown. To address these challenges, here we combined two microengineering strategies-UV-based protein patterning (2D) and two-photon polymerization of topographies (2.5D)-to create a library of anisotropic contact guidance cues with systematically varying height (H, 0 µm ≤ H ≤ 20 µm) and width (W, 5 µm ≤ W ≤ 100 µm). With this unique approach, we found that, in the short term (24 h), the orientation and morphology of primary human fibroblastic keratocytes were critically determined not only by the pattern width, but also by the height of the contact guidance cues. Upon extended 7-day cultures, keratocytes were shown to produce a dense, fibrous collagen network along the direction of the contact guidance cues. Moreover, increasing the heights also increased the aligned fraction of deposited collagen and the contact guidance response of cells, all whilst the cells maintained the fibroblastic keratocyte phenotype. Our study thus reveals the importance of dimensionality of the physical microenvironment in steering both cellular organization and the formation of aligned, collagenous tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cas van der Putten
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Gozde Sahin
- MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering cBITE, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Rhiannon Grant
- MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering cBITE, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Mirko D’Urso
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Giselbrecht
- MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering cBITE, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Carlijn V. C. Bouten
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas A. Kurniawan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Xia Y, Chen K, Yang Q, Chen Z, Jin L, Zhang L, Yu X, Wang L, Xie C, Zhao Y, Shen Y, Tong J. Methylation in cornea and corneal diseases: a systematic review. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:169. [PMID: 38589350 PMCID: PMC11002037 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01935-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Corneal diseases are among the primary causes of blindness and vision loss worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of corneal diseases remains elusive, and diagnostic and therapeutic tools are limited. Thus, identifying new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of corneal diseases has gained great interest. Methylation, a type of epigenetic modification, modulates various cellular processes at both nucleic acid and protein levels. Growing evidence shows that methylation is a key regulator in the pathogenesis of corneal diseases, including inflammation, fibrosis, and neovascularization, making it an attractive potential therapeutic target. In this review, we discuss the major alterations of methylation and demethylation at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels in corneal diseases and how these dynamics contribute to the pathogenesis of corneal diseases. Also, we provide insights into identifying potential biomarkers of methylation that may improve the diagnosis and treatment of corneal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Xia
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Kuangqi Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Qianjie Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Zhitong Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Le Jin
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Liyue Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Liyin Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Chen Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Ye Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
| | - Jianping Tong
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
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34
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Tang J, Lin Z, Liu X, Li B, Wu X, Lv J, Qi X, Lin S, Dai C, Li T. Analyzing the changing trend of corneal biomechanical properties under different influencing factors in T2DM patients. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8160. [PMID: 38589521 PMCID: PMC11001873 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59005-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
To analyze the changing trend of CH and CRF values under different influencing factors in T2DM patients. A total of 650 patients with T2DM were included. We discovered that the course of T2DM, smoking history, BMI, and FBG, DR, HbA1c, TC, TG, and LDL-C levels were common risk factors for T2DM, while HDL-C levels were a protective factor. Analyzing the CH and CRF values according to the course of diabetes, we discovered that as T2DM continued to persist, the values of CH and CRF gradually decreased. Moreover, with the increase in FBG levels and the accumulation of HbA1c, the values of CH and CRF gradually decreased. In addition, in patients with HbA1c (%) > 12, the values of CH and CRF decreased the most, falling by 1.85 ± 0.33 mmHg and 1.28 ± 0.69 mmHg, respectively. Compared with the non-DR group, the CH and CRF values gradually decreased in the mild-NPDR, moderate-NPDR, severe-NPDR and PDR groups, with the lowest CH and CRF values in the PDR group. In patients with T2DM, early measurement of corneal biomechanical properties to evaluate the change trend of CH and CRF values in different situations will help to identify and prevent diabetic keratopathy in a timely manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Tang
- Department of Endocrinology, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhiwu Lin
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Xingde Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Biao Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoli Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Lv
- Department of Orthopedics, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Xing Qi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Sheng Lin
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Chuanqiang Dai
- Department of Orthopedics, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China.
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ziyang Central Hospital, Sichuan, China.
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35
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Puistola P, Kethiri A, Nurminen A, Turkki J, Hopia K, Miettinen S, Mörö A, Skottman H. Cornea-Specific Human Adipose Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Matrix for Corneal Stroma Tissue Engineering. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:15761-15772. [PMID: 38513048 PMCID: PMC10995904 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c17803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Utilizing tissue-specific extracellular matrices (ECMs) is vital for replicating the composition of native tissues and developing biologically relevant biomaterials. Human- or animal-derived donor tissues and organs are the current gold standard for the source of these ECMs. To overcome the several limitations related to these ECM sources, including the highly limited availability of donor tissues, cell-derived ECM offers an alternative approach for engineering tissue-specific biomaterials, such as bioinks for three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting. 3D bioprinting is a state-of-the-art biofabrication technology that addresses the global need for donor tissues and organs. In fact, there is a vast global demand for human donor corneas that are used for treating corneal blindness, often resulting from damage in the corneal stromal microstructure. Human adipose tissue is one of the most abundant tissues and easy to access, and adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) are a highly advantageous cell type for tissue engineering. Furthermore, hASCs have already been studied in clinical trials for treating corneal stromal pathologies. In this study, a corneal stroma-specific ECM was engineered without the need for donor corneas by differentiating hASCs toward corneal stromal keratocytes (hASC-CSKs). Furthermore, this ECM was utilized as a component for corneal stroma-specific bioink where hASC-CSKs were printed to produce corneal stroma structures. This cost-effective approach combined with a clinically relevant cell type provides valuable information on developing more sustainable tissue-specific solutions and advances the field of corneal tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Puistola
- Eye
Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
| | - Abhinav Kethiri
- Eye
Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
| | - Antti Nurminen
- Eye
Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
| | - Johannes Turkki
- Eye
Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
| | - Karoliina Hopia
- Eye
Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
| | - Susanna Miettinen
- Adult
Stem Cell Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
- Tays
Research Services, Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa, Tampere University Hospital, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Anni Mörö
- Eye
Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
| | - Heli Skottman
- Eye
Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
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Sun M, Acosta AC, Emerick V, Adams S, Avila MY, Margo CE, Espana EM. Dysfunctional latent transforming growth factor β activation after corneal injury in a classical Ehlers-Danlos model. Matrix Biol 2024; 128:21-30. [PMID: 38340967 PMCID: PMC10996040 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Patients with classical Ehlers Danlos syndrome (cEDS) suffer impaired wound healing and from scars formed after injuries that are atrophic and difficult to close surgically. Haploinsufficiency in COL5A1 creates systemic morphological and functional alterations in the entire body. We investigated mechanisms that impair wound healing from corneal lacerations (full thickness injuries) in a mouse model of cEDS (Col5a1+/-). We found that collagen V reexpression in this model is upregulated during corneal tissue repair and that wound healing is delayed, impaired, and results in large atrophic corneal scars. We noted that in a matrix with a 50 % content of collagen V, activation of latent Transforming Growth Factor (TGF) β is dysregulated. Corneal myofibroblasts with a haploinsufficiency of collagen V failed to mechanically activate latent TGF β. Second harmonic imaging microscopy showed a disorganized, undulated, and denser collagen matrix in our Col5a1+/- model that suggested alterations in the extracellular matrix structure and function. We hypothesize that a regenerated collagen matrix with only 50 % content of collagen V is not resistant enough mechanically to allow adequate activation of latent TGF β by fibroblasts and myofibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cornea and External Disease, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 13330 USF Laurel Dr., 4th floor, MDC11, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Ana Carolina Acosta
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cornea and External Disease, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 13330 USF Laurel Dr., 4th floor, MDC11, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Victoria Emerick
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cornea and External Disease, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 13330 USF Laurel Dr., 4th floor, MDC11, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Sheila Adams
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cornea and External Disease, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 13330 USF Laurel Dr., 4th floor, MDC11, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Marcel Y Avila
- Departament of Ophthalmology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Curtis E Margo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cornea and External Disease, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 13330 USF Laurel Dr., 4th floor, MDC11, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Pathology and Cell Biology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Edgar M Espana
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cornea and External Disease, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 13330 USF Laurel Dr., 4th floor, MDC11, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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37
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Chen W, Bao F, Roberts CJ, Zhang J, Wang C, Li X, Wang J, Abu Said AZM, Mayopa KN, Chen Y, Zheng X, Eliasy A, Elsheikh A, Chen S. Effect of corneal cross-linking on biomechanical changes following transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy and femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1323612. [PMID: 38558790 PMCID: PMC10978754 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1323612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the change in corneal biomechanics in patients with postoperative ectasia risk when combining two common laser vision correction procedures (tPRK and FS-LASIK) with cross-linking (in tPRK Xtra and FS-LASIK Xtra). Methods: The study included 143 eyes of 143 myopic, astigmatic patients that were divided into non-cross-linked refractive surgery groups (non-Xtra groups, tPRK and FS-LASIK) and cross-linked groups (Xtra groups, tPRK Xtra and FS-LASIK Xtra) according to an ectasia risk scoring system. The eyes were subjected to measurements including the stress-strain index (SSI), the stiffness parameter at first applanation (SP-A1), the integrated inverse radius (IIR), the deformation amplitude at apex (DA), and the ratio of deformation amplitude between apex and 2 mm from apex (DARatio2mm). The measurements were taken preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively (pos1m, pos3m, and pos6m). Posterior demarcation line depth from the endothelium (PDLD) and from the ablation surface (DLA) were recorded at pos1m. Results: SP-A1 significantly decreased, while IIR, deformation amplitude, and DARatio2mm increased significantly postoperatively in all four groups (p < 0.01)-all denoting stiffness decreases. In the FS-LASIK group, the changes in IIR, DA, and DARatio2mm were 32.7 ± 15.1%, 12.9 ± 7.1%, and 27.2 ± 12.0% respectively, which were significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to 20.1 ± 12.8%, 6.4 ± 8.2%, and 19.7 ± 10.4% in the FS-LASIK Xtra group. In the tPRK group, the change in IIR was 27.3 ± 15.5%, significantly larger than 16.9 ± 13.4% in the tPRK Xtra group. The changes of SSI were minimal in the tPRK (-1.5 ± 21.7%, p = 1.000), tPRK Xtra (8.4 ± 17.9%, p = 0.053), and FS-LASIK Xtra (5.6 ± 12.7%, p = 0.634) groups, but was significant in the FS-LASIK group (-12.1 ± 7.9%, p < 0.01). After correcting for baseline biomechanical metrics, preoperative bIOP and the change in central corneal thickness (△CCT) from pre to pos6m, the changes in the IIR in both FS-LASIK and tPRK groups, as well as DA, DARatio2mm and SSI in the FS-LASIK group remained statistically greater than their corresponding Xtra groups (all p < 0.05). Most importantly, after correcting for these covariates, the changes in DARatio2mm in the FS-LASIK Xtra became statistically smaller than in the tPRK Xtra (p = 0.017). Conclusion: The statistical analysis results indicate that tPRK Xtra and FS-LASIK Xtra effectively reduced the biomechanical losses caused by refractive surgery (tPRK and FS-LASIK). The decrease in corneal overall stiffness was greater in FS-LASIK than in tPRK, and the biomechanical enhancement of CXL was also higher following LASIK than after tPRK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Chen
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - FangJun Bao
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Sicence, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Institute of Ocular Biomechanics, WenZhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Cynthia J. Roberts
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jia Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Sicence, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chong Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - XueFei Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - JunJie Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Sicence, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Institute of Ocular Biomechanics, WenZhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Anas Ziad Masoud Abu Said
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Kevin Nguelemo Mayopa
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - YaNi Chen
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - XiaoBo Zheng
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Sicence, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Institute of Ocular Biomechanics, WenZhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Ashkan Eliasy
- School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ahmed Elsheikh
- School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - ShiHao Chen
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Sicence, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Institute of Ocular Biomechanics, WenZhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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38
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Zhan G, Yu L, Wang Q, Jin L, Yin X, Cao X, Gao H. Patterned collagen films loaded with miR-133b@MBG-NH 2for potential applications in corneal stromal injury repair. Biomed Mater 2024; 19:035009. [PMID: 38422520 DOI: 10.1088/1748-605x/ad2ed2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Corneal stromal injury is a common surgical disease. With the development of tissue engineering materials, many artificial corneal scaffolds have been developed to replace allograft corneal transplantation and solve the problem of corneal donor shortage. However, few researchers have paid attention to corneal stromal wound healing. Herein, a nanocomposite of amino modified mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG-NH2) and microRNA-133b (miR-133b) was introduced into the patterned collagen films to achieve corneal stromal injury repair. MBG-NH2nanoparticles as a nano delivery carrier could efficiently load miR-133b and achieve the slow release of miR-133b. The physicochemical properties of collagen films were characterized and found the microgrooved collagen films loaded with miR-133b@MBG-NH2nanoparticles possessed similar swelling properties, optical clarity, and biodegradability to the natural cornea.In vitrocell experiments were also conducted and proved that the patterned collagen films with miR-133b@MBG-NH2possessed good biocompatibility, and miR-133b@MBG-NH2nanoparticles could be significantly uptake by rabbit corneal stromal cells (RCSCs) and have a significant impact on the orientation, proliferation, migration, and gene expression of RCSCs. More importantly, the patterned collagen films with miR-133b@MBG-NH2could effectively promote the migration of RCSCs and accelerate wound healing process, and down-regulate the expression levels ofα-SMA, COL-I, and CTGF genes associated with myofibroblast differentiation of corneal stromal cells, which has a potential application prospect in the repair of corneal stromal injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guancheng Zhan
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Lixia Yu
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiqi Wang
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Longyang Jin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510655, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohong Yin
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaodong Cao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Huichang Gao
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China
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39
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Sanyal S, Vemula PK, Law S. Investigating the therapeutic potential of Allium cepa extract in combating pesticide exposure induced ocular damage. Exp Eye Res 2024; 240:109816. [PMID: 38309514 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
The ocular surface is subject to a range of potentially hazardous environmental factors and substances, owing to its anatomical location, sensitivity, and physiological makeup. Xenobiotic stress exerted by chronic pesticide exposure on the cornea is primarily responsible for ocular irritation, excessive tear production (hyper-lacrimation), corneal abrasions and decreased visual acuity. Traditional medicine hails the humble onion (Allium cepa) for its multi-faceted properties including but not limited to anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound healing. However, there is a lacuna regarding its impact on the ocular surface. Thereby, the current study investigated whether topical application of crude extract of Allium cepa aided in mitigating pesticide-induced damage to the ocular surface. The deleterious effects of pesticide exposure and their mitigation through the topical application of herbal extract of Allium cepa were analysed initially through in vitro evaluation on cell lines and then on the ocular surface via various in-vivo and ex-vivo techniques. Pathophysiological alterations to the ocular surface that impacted vision were explored through detailed neurophysiological screening with special emphasis on visual acuity wherein it was observed that the murine group treated with topical application of Allium cepa extract had comparable visual capacity to the non-pesticide exposed group. Additionally, SOD2 was utilized as an oxidative stress marker along with the expression of cellular apoptotic markers such as Bcl-xL to analyse the impact of pesticide exposure and subsequent herbal intervention on oxidative stress-induced corneal damage. The impact on the corneal epithelial progenitor cell population (ABCG2 and TERT positive cells) was also flowcytometrically analysed. Therefore, from our observations, it can be postulated that the topical application of Allium cepa extract might serve as an effective strategy to alleviate pesticide exposure related ocular damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Sanyal
- Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, India; Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (DBT-inStem), Bengaluru, India
| | - Praveen K Vemula
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (DBT-inStem), Bengaluru, India
| | - Sujata Law
- Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, India; Brainware University, Kolkata, India.
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40
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Sobczak M, Jóźwik A, Kurzynowski P. An integrated model of the human cornea as a linear biaxial birefringent medium. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5077. [PMID: 38429419 PMCID: PMC10907592 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55800-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
A novel model of human corneal birefringence is presented. The cornea is treated as a homogeneous biaxial linear birefringent medium in which the values of the binormal axes angle and organization of the main refractive indices vary continuously from the apex to the limbus. In its central part, the angle between binormal axes is 35°, and para centrally, it smoothly increases to 83.7°. The values of the main refractive indices (nx, ny, nz) change, as well as their order, from nx < nz < ny to nz < nx < ny. The transition between these two states was described with a normal distribution (μ = 0.45, σ = 0.1). The presented model corresponds with the experimental results presented in the literature. To our knowledge, it is the first model that presents the anisotropic properties' distributions of the entire cornea. The presented model facilitates a better understanding of the corneal birefringence phenomenon directly related to its lamellar structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelina Sobczak
- Department of Optics and Photonics, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland.
- School of Optometry, Indiana University, 800 Atwater Ave, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
| | - Agnieszka Jóźwik
- Department of Optics and Photonics, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Piotr Kurzynowski
- Department of Optics and Photonics, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
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41
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Muzyka-Woźniak M, Woźniak S, Łabuz G. Interchangeability in Automated Corneal Diameter Measurements Across Different Biometric Devices: A Systematic Review of Agreement Studies. J Refract Surg 2024; 40:e182-e194. [PMID: 38466762 DOI: 10.3928/1081597x-20240212-02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To provide an up-to-date review of the agreement in automated white-to-white (WTW) measurement between the latest topographic and biometric devices. METHODS In this systematic review, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for articles published between 2017 and 2023, focusing on WTW agreement studies on adult, virgin eyes, with or without cataract and no other ocular comorbidities. Studies evaluating WTW measurements performed with autokeratometers, manual calipers, or manual image analysis were excluded. When available, the following metrics for the agreement of WTW measurements between pairs of devices were included: mean difference ± standard deviation, 95% limits of agreement (LoA), LoA width, 95% confidence interval (95 CI%), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS Forty-one studies, covering comparisons for 19 devices, were included. Altogether, 81 paired comparisons were performed for 4,595 eyes of 4,002 individuals. The mean difference in WTW measurements between devices ranged from 0.01 mm up to 0.96 mm, with varying CI. The 95% LoA width ranged from 0.31 to 2.45 mm (median: 0.65 mm). The majority of pairwise comparisons reported LoA wider than 0.5 mm, a clinically significant value for phakic intraocular lens sizing. CONCLUSIONS Nearly all analyzed studies demonstrated the lack of interchangeability of the WTW parameter. The corneal diameter, assessed by means of grayscale en-face image analysis, tended to demonstrate the lowest agreement among devices compared to other measured biometric parameters. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(3):e182-e194.].
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42
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Sun JY, Zhao J, Qiu Y, Fan TJ. Different concentrations of betaxolol switch cell fate between necroptosis, apoptosis, and senescence in human corneal stromal cells. Chem Biol Interact 2024; 391:110898. [PMID: 38325520 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.110898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Betaxolol is commonly used to manage glaucoma in clinical practice. However, its long-term use may damage the cornea. Thus, the cytotoxicity and mechanisms of betaxolol in human corneal stromal cells (HCSCs) warrant further study. In this study, we used in vitro HCSCs and in vivo rabbit corneal models to investigate betaxolol cytotoxic effects and mechanism of action. At near-clinical concentrations (0.28% and 0.14%), betaxolol inhibited caspase-8 activity, activated receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK)1, RIPK3, and mixed-spectrum kinase-like domain (MLKL), and phosphorylated MLKL to induce necroptosis in HCSCs. Similarly, moderate concentrations of betaxolol (0.07%-0.0175%) activated caspase-8 to trigger the exogenous apoptotic pathway. Through the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, betaxolol upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 family apoptotic proteins Bax and Bad and downregulated that of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. This subsequently disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential and cytoplasmic transfer of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor, activated caspase-9, and induced apoptosis in HCSCs. Furthermore, continuous treatment with low betaxolol concentrations (0.00875%) for three generations of HCSCs prevented apoptosis by promoting the expression of Bcl-xL and suppressing that of Bax. However, its toxic effects initiated cellular senescence by increasing reactive oxygen species, leading to the disruption of energy metabolism and DNA damage. Finally, clinical concentrations of betaxolol had a pro-apoptotic effect on rabbit corneal stromal cells in vivo. These results suggest that betaxolol induces cytotoxicity in a concentration-dependent manner in HCSCs, and that caspase-8 and Bcl-2 family proteins may be critical switches in the conversion of different HCSC death mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Yu Sun
- Laboratory for Corneal Tissue Engineering, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Laboratory for Corneal Tissue Engineering, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Yue Qiu
- Laboratory for Corneal Tissue Engineering, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Ting-Jun Fan
- Laboratory for Corneal Tissue Engineering, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, PR China.
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43
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Thomasy SM, Leonard BC, Greiner MA, Skeie JM, Raghunathan VK. Squishy matters - Corneal mechanobiology in health and disease. Prog Retin Eye Res 2024; 99:101234. [PMID: 38176611 PMCID: PMC11193890 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2023.101234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
The cornea, as a dynamic and responsive tissue, constantly interacts with mechanical forces in order to maintain its structural integrity, barrier function, transparency and refractive power. Cells within the cornea sense and respond to various mechanical forces that fundamentally regulate their morphology and fate in development, homeostasis and pathophysiology. Corneal cells also dynamically regulate their extracellular matrix (ECM) with ensuing cell-ECM crosstalk as the matrix serves as a dynamic signaling reservoir providing biophysical and biochemical cues to corneal cells. Here we provide an overview of mechanotransduction signaling pathways then delve into the recent advances in corneal mechanobiology, focusing on the interplay between mechanical forces and responses of the corneal epithelial, stromal, and endothelial cells. We also identify species-specific differences in corneal biomechanics and mechanotransduction to facilitate identification of optimal animal models to study corneal wound healing, disease, and novel therapeutic interventions. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps and therapeutic opportunities in corneal mechanobiology that are pressing for the research community to address especially pertinent within the domains of limbal stem cell deficiency, keratoconus and Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy. By furthering our understanding corneal mechanobiology, we can contextualize discoveries regarding corneal diseases as well as innovative treatments for them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Thomasy
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, United States; Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, School of Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, United States; California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, United States.
| | - Brian C Leonard
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, United States; Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, School of Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Mark A Greiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States; Iowa Lions Eye Bank, Coralville, IA, United States
| | - Jessica M Skeie
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States; Iowa Lions Eye Bank, Coralville, IA, United States
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44
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Xiao Y, McGhee CNJ, Zhang J. Adult stem cells in the eye: Identification, characterisation, and therapeutic application in ocular regeneration - A review. Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2024; 52:148-166. [PMID: 38214071 DOI: 10.1111/ceo.14309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Adult stem cells, present in various parts of the human body, are undifferentiated cells that can proliferate and differentiate to replace dying cells within tissues. Stem cells have specifically been identified in the cornea, trabecular meshwork, crystalline lens, iris, ciliary body, retina, choroid, sclera, conjunctiva, eyelid, lacrimal gland, and orbital fat. The identification of ocular stem cells broadens the potential therapeutic strategies for untreatable eye diseases. Currently, stem cell transplantation for corneal and conjunctival diseases remains the most common stem cell-based therapy in ocular clinical management. Lens epithelial stem cells have been applied in the treatment of paediatric cataracts. Several early-phase clinical trials for corneal and retinal regeneration using ocular stem cells are also underway. Extensive preclinical studies using ocular stem cells have been conducted, showing encouraging outcomes. Ocular stem cells currently demonstrate great promise in potential treatments of eye diseases. In this review, we focus on the identification, characterisation, and therapeutic application of adult stem cells in the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Xiao
- Department of Ophthalmology, New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Charles N J McGhee
- Department of Ophthalmology, New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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45
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Jacob S, Agarwal A, Awwad S, Parker J, Mimouni M, J S. Bowman Layer Marking for Correct Placement of Corneal Allogeneic Intrastromal Ring Segments. Cornea 2024; 43:398-401. [PMID: 38315501 DOI: 10.1097/ico.0000000000003431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Corneal allogeneic intrastromal ring segments (CAIRS) refer to the placement of allogeneic rings and segments in intrastromal channels within the cornea. Currently, a deepithelialized donor cornea is used as the allogeneic source for CAIRS and the cut ring is turned sideways and implanted so that the thickness can be varied by varying the distance between the concentric trephine blades. In addition, to obtain a greater effect, CAIRSs are preferred to be implanted with the Bowman layer (BL) facing the corneal apex and posterior stroma facing limbally. Being flexible tissue, it is, however, important to prevent twisting and to maintain correct orientation. We describe a simple technique of marking the BL with a gentian violet surgical marker to simplify CAIRS insertion. BL marking allows easy visibility of twists and helps identify improper orientation, thus allowing correct insertion of CAIRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soosan Jacob
- Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital and Eye Research Centre, Chennai, India
- Dr. Agarwal's Refractive and Cornea Foundation (DARCF), Chennai, India
| | - Amar Agarwal
- Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital and Eye Research Centre, Chennai, India
| | - Shady Awwad
- Department of Ophthalmology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Jack Parker
- Parker Cornea, Birmingham, AL
- NIIOS-U, San Diego, CA; and
| | - Michael Mimouni
- Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Health Care Campus Affiliated With the Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sambath J
- Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital and Eye Research Centre, Chennai, India
- Dr. Agarwal's Refractive and Cornea Foundation (DARCF), Chennai, India
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46
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Wu J, Yun Z, Song W, Yu T, Xue W, Liu Q, Sun X. Highly oriented hydrogels for tissue regeneration: design strategies, cellular mechanisms, and biomedical applications. Theranostics 2024; 14:1982-2035. [PMID: 38505623 PMCID: PMC10945336 DOI: 10.7150/thno.89493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Many human tissues exhibit a highly oriented architecture that confers them with distinct mechanical properties, enabling adaptation to diverse and challenging environments. Hydrogels, with their water-rich "soft and wet" structure, have emerged as promising biomimetic materials in tissue engineering for repairing and replacing damaged tissues and organs. Highly oriented hydrogels can especially emulate the structural orientation found in human tissue, exhibiting unique physiological functions and properties absent in traditional homogeneous isotropic hydrogels. The design and preparation of highly oriented hydrogels involve strategies like including hydrogels with highly oriented nanofillers, polymer-chain networks, void channels, and microfabricated structures. Understanding the specific mechanism of action of how these highly oriented hydrogels affect cell behavior and their biological applications for repairing highly oriented tissues such as the cornea, skin, skeletal muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, bone, blood vessels, heart, etc., requires further exploration and generalization. Therefore, this review aims to fill that gap by focusing on the design strategy of highly oriented hydrogels and their application in the field of tissue engineering. Furthermore, we provide a detailed discussion on the application of highly oriented hydrogels in various tissues and organs and the mechanisms through which highly oriented structures influence cell behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuping Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
- Translational Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Zhihe Yun
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Wenlong Song
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China
| | - Tao Yu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Wu Xue
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Qinyi Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Xinzhi Sun
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
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47
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Meek KM, Knupp C, Lewis PN, Morgan SR, Hayes S. Structural control of corneal transparency, refractive power and dynamics. Eye (Lond) 2024:10.1038/s41433-024-02969-7. [PMID: 38396030 DOI: 10.1038/s41433-024-02969-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The cornea needs to be transparent to visible light and precisely curved to provide the correct refractive power. Both properties are governed by its structure. Corneal transparency arises from constructive interference of visible light due to the relatively ordered arrangement of collagen fibrils in the corneal stroma. The arrangement is controlled by the negatively charged proteoglycans surrounding the fibrils. Small changes in fibril organisation can be tolerated but larger changes cause light scattering. Corneal keratocytes do not scatter light because their refractive index matches that of the surrounding matrix. When activated, however, they become fibroblasts that have a lower refractive index. Modelling shows that this change in refractive index significantly increases light scatter. At the microscopic level, the corneal stroma has a lamellar structure, the parallel collagen fibrils within each lamella making a large angle with those of adjacent lamellae. X-ray scattering has shown that the lamellae have preferred orientations in the human cornea: inferior-superior and nasal-temporal in the central cornea and circumferential at the limbus. The directions at the centre of the cornea may help withstand the pull of the extraocular muscles whereas the pseudo-circular arrangement at the limbus supports the change in curvature between the cornea and sclera. Elastic fibres are also present; in the limbus they contain fibrillin microfibrils surrounding an elastin core, whereas at the centre of the cornea, they exist as thin bundles of fibrillin-rich microfibrils. We present a model based on the structure described above that may explain how the cornea withstands repeated pressure changes due to the ocular pulse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith M Meek
- Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.
| | - Carlo Knupp
- Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Philip N Lewis
- Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Siân R Morgan
- Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Sally Hayes
- Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
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48
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Nie X, Tang Y, Wu T, Zhao X, Xu Z, Yang R, Sun Y, Wu B, Han Q, Hui J, Liu W. 3D printing sequentially strengthening high-strength natural polymer hydrogel bilayer scaffold for cornea regeneration. Regen Biomater 2024; 11:rbae012. [PMID: 38454966 PMCID: PMC10918636 DOI: 10.1093/rb/rbae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
3D printing of high-strength natural polymer biodegradable hydrogel scaffolds simultaneously resembling the biomechanics of corneal tissue and facilitating tissue regeneration remains a huge challenge due to the inherent brittleness of natural polymer hydrogels and the demanding requirements of printing. Herein, concentrated aqueous solutions of gelatin and carbohydrazide-modified alginate (Gel/Alg-CDH) are blended to form a natural polymer hydrogel ink, where the hydrazides in Alg-CDH are found to form strong hydrogen bonds with the gelatin. The hydrogen-bonding-strengthened Gel/Alg-CDH hydrogel demonstrates an appropriate thickened viscosity and shear thinning for extrusion printing. The strong hydrogen bonds contribute to remarkably increased mechanical properties of Gel/Alg-CDH hydrogel with a maximum elongation of over 400%. In addition, sequentially Ca2+-physical crosslinking and then moderately chemical crosslinking significantly enhance the mechanical properties of Gel/Alg-CDH hydrogels that ultimately exhibit an intriguing J-shaped stress-strain curve (tensile strength of 1.068 MPa and the toughness of 677.6 kJ/m2). The dually crosslinked Gel-Alg-CDH-Ca2+-EDC hydrogels demonstrate a high transparency, physiological swelling stability and rapid enzymatic degradability, as well as suturability. The growth factor and drug-loaded biomimetic bilayer hydrogel scaffold are customized via a multi-nozzle printing system. This bioactive bilayer hydrogel scaffold considerably promotes regeneration of corneal epithelium and stroma and inhibits cornea scarring in rabbit cornea keratoplasty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiongfeng Nie
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Yong Tang
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Lab of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - Tengling Wu
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Xinrui Zhao
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Ziyang Xu
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Rong Yang
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Yage Sun
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Lab of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - Quanhong Han
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Lab of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - Jingwen Hui
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Lab of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - Wenguang Liu
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
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49
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Puistola P, Miettinen S, Skottman H, Mörö A. Novel strategy for multi-material 3D bioprinting of human stem cell based corneal stroma with heterogenous design. Mater Today Bio 2024; 24:100924. [PMID: 38226015 PMCID: PMC10788621 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting offers an automated, customizable solution to manufacture highly detailed 3D tissue constructs and holds great promise for regenerative medicine to solve the severe global shortage of donor tissues and organs. However, uni-material 3D bioprinting is not sufficient for manufacturing heterogenous 3D constructs with native-like microstructures and thus, innovative multi-material solutions are required. Here, we developed a novel multi-material 3D bioprinting strategy for bioprinting human corneal stroma. The human cornea is the transparent outer layer of your eye, and vision loss due to corneal blindness has serious effects on the quality of life of individuals. One of the main reasons for corneal blindness is the damage in the detailed organization of the corneal stroma where collagen fibrils are arranged in layers perpendicular to each other and the corneal stromal cells grow along the fibrils. Donor corneas for treating corneal blindness are scarce, and the current tissue engineering (TE) technologies cannot produce artificial corneas with the complex microstructure of native corneal stroma. To address this, we developed a novel multi-material 3D bioprinting strategy to mimic detailed organization of corneal stroma. These multi-material 3D structures with heterogenous design were bioprinted by using human adipose tissue -derived stem cells (hASCs) and hyaluronic acid (HA) -based bioinks with varying stiffnesses. In our novel design of 3D models, acellular stiffer HA-bioink and cell-laden softer HA-bioink were printed in alternating filaments, and the filaments were printed perpendicularly in alternating layers. The multi-material bioprinting strategy was applied for the first time in corneal stroma 3D bioprinting to mimic the native microstructure. As a result, the soft bioink promoted cellular growth and tissue formation of hASCs in the multi-material 3D bioprinted composites, whereas the stiff bioink provided mechanical support as well as guidance of cellular organization upon culture. Interestingly, cellular growth and tissue formation altered the mechanical properties of the bioprinted composite constructs significantly. Importantly, the bioprinted composite structures showed good integration to the host tissue in ex vivo cornea organ culture model. As a conclusion, the developed multi-material bioprinting strategy provides great potential as a biofabrication solution for manufacturing organized, heterogenous microstructures of native tissues. To the best of our knowledge, this multi-material bioprinting strategy has never been applied in corneal bioprinting. Therefore, our work advances the technological achievements in additive manufacturing and brings the field of corneal TE to a new level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Puistola
- Eye Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
| | - Susanna Miettinen
- Adult Stem Cell Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
- Research, Development and Innovation Centre, Tampere University Hospital, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Heli Skottman
- Eye Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
| | - Anni Mörö
- Eye Regeneration Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere 33520, Finland
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50
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Bazan HEP, Pham TL. A new R,R-RvD6 isomer with protective actions following corneal nerve injury. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat 2024; 170:106802. [PMID: 38036037 DOI: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2023.106802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The transparent cornea is the most densely innervated tissue in the body, primarily by sensory nerves originating from the trigeminal ganglia (TG). Damage to corneal nerves reduces sensitivity and tear secretion and results in dry eye. Consequently, ocular pain, for which no satisfactory therapies exist, arises in many cases. Treatment of injured corneas with pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) combined with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) stimulates nerve regeneration in models of refractive surgery, which damages nerves. The mechanism involves the synthesis of a stereoisomer of resolvin D6 (R,R-RvD6) formed after incorporating DHA into membrane lipids. Activation of a PEDF receptor (PEDF-R) with phospholipase activity releases DHA to synthesize the new resolvin isomer, which is secreted via tears. Topical treatment of mice corneas with R,R-RvD6 shows higher bioactivity in regenerating nerves and increasing sensitivity compared to PEDF+DHA. It also stimulates a transcriptome in the TG that modulates genes involved in ocular pain. Our studies suggest an important therapeutic role for R,R-RvD6 in regenerating corneal nerves and decreasing pain resulting from dry eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haydee E P Bazan
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence and Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Thang L Pham
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence and Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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