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Kowalska ME, Pot SA, Hartnack S. Photoactivated Chromophore for Keratitis-Corneal Cross-linking (PACK-CXL)-A Scoping Review Based on Preclinical Studies. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2024; 13:14. [PMID: 39023444 PMCID: PMC11262473 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.13.7.14] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Photoactivated chromophore for keratitis-corneal cross-linking (PACK-CXL) stabilizes the corneal stroma and eliminates microorganisms. Numerous PACK-CXL protocols, using different energy sources and chromophores, have been applied in preclinical studies, including live animal studies, with various experimental designs and endpoints. So far, a systematic mapping of the applied protocols and consistency across studies seems lacking but is essential to guide future research. Methods The scoping review protocol was in line with the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Electronic databases were searched (Embase, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science) to identify eligible records, followed by a two-step selection process (title and abstract screening, full text screening) for record inclusion. We extracted information on (1) different PACK-CXL protocol characteristics; (2) infectious pathogens tested; (3) study designs and experimental settings; and (4) endpoints used to determine antimicrobial and tissue stabilizing effects. The information was charted in frequency maps. Results The searches yielded 3654 unique records, 233 of which met the inclusion criteria. With 103 heterogeneous endpoints, the researchers investigated a wide range of PACK-CXL protocols. The tested microorganisms reflected pathogens commonly associated with infectious keratitis. Bacterial solutions and infectious keratitis rabbit models were the most widely used models to study the antimicrobial effects of PACK-CXL. Conclusions If preclinical PACK-CXL studies are to guide future translational research, further cross-disciplinary efforts are needed to establish, promote, and facilitate acceptance of common endpoints relevant to PACK-CXL. Translational Relevance Systematic mapping of PACK-CXL protocols in preclinical studies guides future translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malwina E. Kowalska
- Section of Veterinary Epidemiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon A. Pot
- Ophthalmology Section, Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Hartnack
- Section of Veterinary Epidemiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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Rohira H, Shankar S, Yadav S, Srivastava PP, Minocha S, Vaddavalli PK, Shah SG, Chugh A. RiTe conjugate mediated corneal collagen crosslinking, a novel therapeutic intervention for keratoconus - in vitro and in vivo study. Int J Pharm 2024; 656:124092. [PMID: 38583820 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124092] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) is an effective method to halt the disease progression of keratoconus, a progressive corneal dystrophy leading to cone shaped cornea. Despite the efficacy of standard protocol, the concerning step of this procedure is epithelial debridement performed to facilitate the entry of riboflavin drug. Riboflavin, a key molecule in CXL protocol, is a sparsely permeable hydrophilic drug in corneal tissues. The present study has employed cell penetrating peptide (CPP), Tat2, to enhance the penetration of riboflavin molecule, and thereby improve currently followed CXL protocol. This study demonstrates approximately two-fold enhanced uptake of CPP riboflavin conjugate, Tat2riboflavin-5'Phosphate (RiTe conjugate), both in vitro and in vivo. Two different CXL protocols (Epi ON and Epi OFF) have been introduced and implemented in rabbit corneas using RiTe conjugate in the present study. The standard and RiTe conjugate mediated CXL procedures exhibited an equivalent extent of crosslinking in both the methods. Reduced keratocyte loss and no endothelial damage in RiTe conjugate mediated CXL further ascertains the safety of the proposed CXL protocols. Therefore, RiTe conjugate mediated CXL protocols present as potential alternatives to the standard keratoconus treatment in providing equally effective, less invasive and patient compliant treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsha Rohira
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Sujithra Shankar
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Shikha Yadav
- National Institute of Biologicals, NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh 201309, India
| | - Priyanka P Srivastava
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Shilpi Minocha
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | | | - Sushmita G Shah
- Dr C M Shah Memorial Charitable Trust - Netra Mandir, Madona Colony Road, Borivali West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400092, India.
| | - Archana Chugh
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
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Awad R, Ghaith AA, Awad K, Mamdouh Saad M, Elmassry AA. Fungal Keratitis: Diagnosis, Management, and Recent Advances. Clin Ophthalmol 2024; 18:85-106. [PMID: 38223815 PMCID: PMC10788054 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s447138] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Fungal keratitis is one of the major causes of microbial keratitis that may lead to corneal blindness. Many problems related to diagnosis and therapy are encountered in fungal keratitis, including difficulty in obtaining laboratory diagnoses and the availability and efficacy of antifungal medications. Intensive and prolonged use of antifungal topical preparations may not be enough. The use of antifungal medications is considered the main treatment for fungal keratitis. It is recommended to start antifungal therapy after confirmation of the clinical diagnosis with a smear or positive cultures. Topical application of antifungal medications is a mainstay for the treatment of fungal keratitis; however, systemic, intra-stromal, or intra-cameral routes may be used. Therapeutic keratoplasty is the main surgical procedure approved for the management of fungal keratitis with good success rate. Intrastromal corneal injection of antifungal medications may result in steady-state drug levels within the corneal tissue and prevent intervals of decreased antifungal drug concentration below its therapeutic level. In cases of severe fungal keratitis with deep stromal infiltration not responding to treatment, intracameral injection of antifungal agents may be effective. Collagen cross-linking has been proposed to be beneficial for cases of fungal keratitis as a stand-alone therapy or as an adjunct to antifungal medications. Although collagen cross-linking has been extensively studied in the past few years, its protocol still needs many modifications to optimize UV fluence levels, irradiation time, and concentration of riboflavin to achieve 100% microbial killing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramy Awad
- Department of Ophthalmology, Alexandria General Ophthalmology Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Alaa Atef Ghaith
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Khaled Awad
- Department of Ophthalmology, Alexandria General Ophthalmology Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Marina Mamdouh Saad
- Department of Ophthalmology, Alexandria General Ophthalmology Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Ak Elmassry
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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Olshaker H, Achiron A, Chorny A, Hafezi F, Yahalomi T, Kratz A, Tsumi E, Lu NJ, Knyazer B. Accelerated high fluence photoactivated chromophore for infectious keratitis-corneal cross-linking (PACK-CXL) at the slit lamp: a pilot study. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1229095. [PMID: 37745064 PMCID: PMC10512457 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1229095] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Photoactivated Chromophore for Infectious Keratitis-Corneal Cross-Linking (PACK-CXL) has garnered substantial interest among researchers and ophthalmologists due to its high promise as a potential treatment for infectious keratitis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high fluence PACK-CXL, using 10.0 J/cm2 (30 mW/cm2, 5 min, and 33 s) at the slit lamp. Methods: This prospective interventional, nonrandomized cohort study included 20 eyes of 20 patients with bacterial, fungal, or mixed origin keratitis who underwent high fluence PACK-CXL treatment as an adjunct therapy to conventional antimicrobial therapy per American Academy of Ophthalmology treatment guidelines. The re-epithelization time was recorded, and corneal endothelial cell density was counted before and after treatment. Results: The average re-epithelization time was 8.2 ± 2.8 days (range 3-14 days). After PACK-CXL treatment, eight patients (40%) were directly discharged, while the remained patients stayed in the hospital for an average of 5.6 ± 3.5 days. No eyes required keratoplasty. Endothelial cell density counts before and after the PACK-CXL procedure were 2,562.1 ± 397.3, and 2,564.8 ± 404.5 cells/mm2, respectively (p = 0.96). Conclusion: although it was not a randomized control trial, we conclude that high fluence PACK-CXL as an adjuvant therapy is safe with no complications observed, and efficient as time to re-epithelization was less than 14 days for all patients and no patients underwent tectonic keratoplasties. Further research is needed to compare it to the current standard of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagar Olshaker
- Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Asaf Achiron
- Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Alexander Chorny
- Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Farhad Hafezi
- Center for Applied Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine (CABMM), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- ELZA Institute, Dietikon, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Tal Yahalomi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Samson Assuta Ashdod, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Assaf Kratz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Erez Tsumi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Nan-Ji Lu
- ELZA Institute, Dietikon, Switzerland
| | - Boris Knyazer
- Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
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Barac IR, Artamonov AR, Baltă G, Dinu V, Mehedințu C, Bobircă A, Baltă F, Barac DA. Photoactivated Chromophore Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking for Infectious Keratitis (PACK-CXL)-A Comprehensive Review of Diagnostic and Prognostic Factors Involved in Therapeutic Indications and Contraindications. J Pers Med 2022; 12:1907. [PMID: 36422083 PMCID: PMC9698237 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12111907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious keratitis is a severe infection of the eye, which requires urgent care in order to prevent permanent complications. Typical cases are usually diagnosed clinically, whereas severe cases also require additional tools, such as direct microscopy, corneal cultures, molecular techniques, or ophthalmic imaging. The initial treatment is empirical, based on the suspected etiology, and is later adjusted as needed. It ranges from topical administration of active substances to oral drugs, or to complex surgeries in advanced situations. A novel alternative is represented by Photoactivated Chromophore Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking (PACK-CXL), which is widely known as a minimally invasive therapy for corneal degenerations. The purpose of this review is to identify the main diagnostic and prognostic factors which further outline the indications and contraindications of PACK-CXL in infectious keratitis. Given the predominantly positive outcomes in the medical literature, we ponder whether this is a promising treatment modality, which should be further evaluated in a systematic, evidence-based manner in order to develop a clear treatment protocol for successful future results, especially in carefully selected cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ileana Ramona Barac
- Department of Ophthalmology/ENT, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050747 Bucharest, Romania
- Bucharest Emergency Eye Hospital, 030167 Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - George Baltă
- Department of Ophthalmology/ENT, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050747 Bucharest, Romania
- Bucharest Emergency Eye Hospital, 030167 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Valentin Dinu
- Department of Ophthalmology/ENT, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050747 Bucharest, Romania
- Bucharest Emergency Eye Hospital, 030167 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Claudia Mehedințu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050747 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anca Bobircă
- Department of Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050747 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florian Baltă
- Department of Ophthalmology/ENT, Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050747 Bucharest, Romania
- Bucharest Emergency Eye Hospital, 030167 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Diana Andreea Barac
- Faculty of Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050747 Bucharest, Romania
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