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Denk N, Freichel C, Valmaggia P, Inglin N, Scholl HPN, Kaiser P, Wise S, Vezina M, Maloca PM. Cynomolgus monkey's retina volume reference database based on hybrid deep learning optical coherence tomography segmentation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5797. [PMID: 37032376 PMCID: PMC10083168 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32739-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) are commonly used in pre-clinical ocular studies. However, studies that report the morphological features of the macaque retina are based only on minimal sample sizes; therefore, little is known about the normal distribution and background variation. This study was conducted using optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging to investigate the variations in retinal volumes of healthy cynomolgus monkeys and the effects of sex, origin, and eye side on the retinal volumes to establish a comprehensive reference database. A machine-learning algorithm was employed to segment the retina within the OCT data (i.e., generated pixel-wise labels). Furthermore, a classical computer vision algorithm has identified the deepest point in a foveolar depression. The retinal volumes were determined and analyzed based on this reference point and segmented retinal compartments. Notably, the overall foveolar mean volume in zone 1, which is the region of the sharpest vision, was 0.205 mm3 (range 0.154-0.268 mm3), with a relatively low coefficient of variation of 7.9%. Generally, retinal volumes exhibit a relatively low degree of variation. However, significant differences in the retinal volumes due to the monkey's origin were identified. Additionally, sex had a significant impact on the paracentral retinal volume. Therefore, the origin and sex of cynomolgus monkeys should be considered when evaluating the macaque retinal volumes based on this dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Denk
- Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Pharmaceutical Sciences (PS), Roche, Innovation Center Basel, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Freichel
- Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Pharmaceutical Sciences (PS), Roche, Innovation Center Basel, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Valmaggia
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nadja Inglin
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Sylvie Wise
- Charles River Laboratories, Senneville, QC, H9X 1C1, Canada
| | - Marc Vezina
- Charles River Laboratories, Senneville, QC, H9X 1C1, Canada
| | - Peter M Maloca
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK.
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Hughes P, Rivers HM, Bantseev V, Yen CW, Mahler HC, Gupta S. Intraocular delivery considerations of ocular biologic products and key preclinical determinations. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2023; 20:223-240. [PMID: 36632784 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2023.2166927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ophthalmic diseases of the retina are a significant cause of vision loss globally. Despite much progress, there remains an unmet need for durable, long-acting treatment options. While biologic therapies show great promise, they present many challenges, including complexities in biochemical properties, mechanism of action, manufacturing considerations, preclinical evaluation, and delivery mechanism; these are confounded by the unique anatomy and physiology of the eye itself. AREAS COVERED This review describes the current development status of intravitreally administered drugs for the treatment of ophthalmic disease, outlines the range of approaches that can be considered for sustained drug delivery to the eye, and discusses key preclinical considerations for the evaluation of ocular biologics. EXPERT OPINION The required frequency of dosing in the eye results in a great burden on both patients and the health care system, with direct intraocular administration remaining the most reliable and predictable route. Sustained and controlled ophthalmic drug delivery systems will go a long way in reducing this burden. Sustained delivery can directly dose target tissues, improving bioavailability and reducing off-target systemic effects. Maintaining stability and activity of compounds can prevent aggregation and enable extended duration of release, while sustaining dosage and preventing residual polymer after drug depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Hughes
- Pharmaceutical Development, Visus Therapeutics, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hongwen M Rivers
- Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, Medical Aesthetics, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vladimir Bantseev
- Department of Safety Assessment, Genentech, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chun-Wan Yen
- Department of Safety Assessment, Genentech, Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Swati Gupta
- Non-clinical Development Immunology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, IL, USA
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Corey TM, Woodley VV, O'Connor M, Connolly E, Doyle S, Shrader S, Phipps C, Isaac K, Lawrence M. Evaluation of the Dose-Dependent Inflammatory Response and No-Observable Adverse Effect Level of Intravitreal Endotoxin in the African Green Monkey. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2022; 11:17. [PMID: 35980670 PMCID: PMC9404367 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.11.8.17] [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] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To evaluate the inflammatory effects and no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of intravitreal endotoxin in an African green monkey model of uveitis. Methods Fifteen green monkeys were administered intravitreal endotoxin ranging from 0.005 to 0.08 endotoxin unit (EU)/eye. Inflammation was evaluated by slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect fundoscopy, tonometry, color fundus photography, ocular coherence tomography, laser flare photometry, and histopathology, with analysis of cytokine levels in aqueous and vitreous humor. The inter-rater reliability of a refined nonhuman primate ophthalmic scoring system was evaluated. Results A dose-dependent inflammatory response was observed beginning at 0.02 EU/eye; no inflammatory response exceeding the vehicle was observed at 0.005 EU/eye. Retinal pathology was minimal, and posterior visualization degraded with increasing inflammation. Inflammation was observed by histopathology at 0.04 EU/eye. Inter-rater reliability of the scoring system was high, with 99.2% of individual scores differing by 1 scale unit or less and 87.2% of summary scores differing by 2 scale units or less. Conclusions The NOAEL for intravitreal endotoxin in the green monkey is 0.005 EU/eye, with inflammation increasing with increasing dose beginning at 0.02 EU/eye. This updated nonhuman primate ophthalmic scoring system allows for high inter-rater reliability for the quantification of mild to severe inflammation in the green monkey eye. Translational Relevance Validation of the ophthalmic inflammation scoring system enables application of the green monkey as a valuable translational model. Candidate therapeutics should be confirmed to have endotoxin levels below this threshold before safety testing in this species to enable interpretation of inflammation and minimize impact on animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Emma Connolly
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sarah Doyle
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Kicková E, Sadeghi A, Puranen J, Tavakoli S, Sen M, Ranta VP, Arango-Gonzalez B, Bolz S, Ueffing M, Salmaso S, Caliceti P, Toropainen E, Ruponen M, Urtti A. Pharmacokinetics of Pullulan-Dexamethasone Conjugates in Retinal Drug Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2021; 14:pharmaceutics14010012. [PMID: 35056906 PMCID: PMC8779473 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The treatment of retinal diseases by intravitreal injections requires frequent administration unless drug delivery systems with long retention and controlled release are used. In this work, we focused on pullulan (≈67 kDa) conjugates of dexamethasone as therapeutic systems for intravitreal administration. The pullulan-dexamethasone conjugates self-assemble into negatively charged nanoparticles (average size 326 ± 29 nm). Intravitreal injections of pullulan and pullulan-dexamethasone were safe in mouse, rat and rabbit eyes. Fluorescently labeled pullulan particles showed prolonged retention in the vitreous and they were almost completely eliminated via aqueous humor outflow. Pullulan conjugates also distributed to the retina via Müller glial cells when tested in ex vivo retina explants and in vivo. Pharmacokinetic simulations showed that pullulan-dexamethasone conjugates may release free and active dexamethasone in the vitreous humor for over 16 days, even though a large fraction of dexamethasone may be eliminated from the eye as bound pullulan-dexamethasone. We conclude that pullulan based drug conjugates are promising intravitreal drug delivery systems as they may reduce injection frequency and deliver drugs into the retinal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Kicková
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (E.K.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Amir Sadeghi
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (A.S.); (J.P.); (V.-P.R.); (E.T.); (M.R.)
| | - Jooseppi Puranen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (A.S.); (J.P.); (V.-P.R.); (E.T.); (M.R.)
| | - Shirin Tavakoli
- Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00710 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Merve Sen
- Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.-G.); (S.B.); (M.U.)
| | - Veli-Pekka Ranta
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (A.S.); (J.P.); (V.-P.R.); (E.T.); (M.R.)
| | - Blanca Arango-Gonzalez
- Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.-G.); (S.B.); (M.U.)
| | - Sylvia Bolz
- Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.-G.); (S.B.); (M.U.)
| | - Marius Ueffing
- Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 7, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.-G.); (S.B.); (M.U.)
| | - Stefano Salmaso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (E.K.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Paolo Caliceti
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (E.K.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Elisa Toropainen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (A.S.); (J.P.); (V.-P.R.); (E.T.); (M.R.)
| | - Marika Ruponen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (A.S.); (J.P.); (V.-P.R.); (E.T.); (M.R.)
| | - Arto Urtti
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (A.S.); (J.P.); (V.-P.R.); (E.T.); (M.R.)
- Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00710 Helsinki, Finland;
- Institute of Chemistry, St. Petersburg State University, Petergof, Universitetskii pr. 26, 198504 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence:
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Maloca PM, Seeger C, Booler H, Valmaggia P, Kawamoto K, Kaba Q, Inglin N, Balaskas K, Egan C, Tufail A, Scholl HPN, Hasler PW, Denk N. Uncovering of intraspecies macular heterogeneity in cynomolgus monkeys using hybrid machine learning optical coherence tomography image segmentation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20647. [PMID: 34667265 PMCID: PMC8526684 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99704-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fovea is a depression in the center of the macula and is the site of the highest visual acuity. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has contributed considerably in elucidating the pathologic changes in the fovea and is now being considered as an accompanying imaging method in drug development, such as antivascular endothelial growth factor and its safety profiling. Because animal numbers are limited in preclinical studies and automatized image evaluation tools have not yet been routinely employed, essential reference data describing the morphologic variations in macular thickness in laboratory cynomolgus monkeys are sparse to nonexistent. A hybrid machine learning algorithm was applied for automated OCT image processing and measurements of central retina thickness and surface area values. Morphological variations and the effects of sex and geographical origin were determined. Based on our findings, the fovea parameters are specific to the geographic origin. Despite morphological similarities among cynomolgus monkeys, considerable variations in the foveolar contour, even within the same species but from different geographic origins, were found. The results of the reference database show that not only the entire retinal thickness, but also the macular subfields, should be considered when designing preclinical studies and in the interpretation of foveal data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Maloca
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland. .,Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), 4031, Basel, Switzerland. .,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK.
| | - Christine Seeger
- Preclinical Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Helen Booler
- Preclinical Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Valmaggia
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ken Kawamoto
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Qayim Kaba
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Nadja Inglin
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Catherine Egan
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Adnan Tufail
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.,Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pascal W Hasler
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nora Denk
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.,Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), 4031, Basel, Switzerland.,Preclinical Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
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Ophthalmic biosimilars and biologics-role of endotoxins. Eye (Lond) 2019; 34:614-615. [PMID: 31619778 DOI: 10.1038/s41433-019-0636-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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