Scleral Cross-linking Using Riboflavin and Ultraviolet-A Radiation for Prevention of Axial Myopia in a Rabbit Model

Observation of the effect of posterior scleral reinforcement combined with orthokeratology and 0.01% atropine in the treatment of congenital myopia: a case report

BACKGROUND

Myopia has recently emerged as a significant threat to global public health. The high and pathological myopia in children and adolescents could result in irreversible damage to eye tissues and severe impairment of visual function without timely control. Posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) can effectively control the progression of high myopia by limiting posterior scleral expansion, improving retrobulbar vascular perfusion, thereby stabilizing the axial length and refraction of the eye. Moreover, orthokeratology and low concentrations of atropine are also effective in slowing myopia progression.

CASE PRESENTATION

A female child was diagnosed with binocular congenital myopia and amblyopia at the age of 3 and the patient's vision had never been rectified with spectacles at the first consultation. The patient's ophthalmological findings suggested, high refractive error with low best corrected visual acuity, longer axial length beyond the standard level of her age, and fundus examination suggesting posterior scleral staphyloma with weakened hemodynamics of the posterior ciliary artery. Thereby, PSR was performed to improve fundus health and the combination of orthokeratology and 0.01% atropine were performed to control the development of myopia. Following up to 8 years of clinical treatment and observations, the progression of myopia could be well controlled and fundus health was stable.

CONCLUSION

In this report, 8-year of clinical observation indicated that PSR could improve choroidal thickness and hemodynamic parameters of the retrobulbar vessels, postoperative orthokeratology combined with 0.01% atropine treatment strategy may be a good choice for myopia control effectively.

Therapeutic non-ectasia applications of cornea cross-linking

Corneal cross-linking is a photopolymerization technique traditionally used to strengthen corneal tissue. Corneal cross-linking utilizes riboflavin (vitamin B2) as a photosensitizer and ultraviolet-A light (UVA) to create strong covalent bonds within the corneal stroma, increasing tissue stiffness. Multiple studies have demonstrated corneal cross-linking's effectiveness in treating corneal ectasia, a progressive, degenerative, and non-inflammatory thinning disorder, as quantified by key tomographic, refractive, and visual parameters. Since its introduction two decades ago, corneal cross-linking has surpassed its original application in halting corneal ectatic disease and its application has expanded into several other areas. Corneal cross-linking also possesses antibacterial, antienzymolytic and antioedematous properties, and has since become a tool in treating microbial keratitis, correcting refractive error, preventing iatrogenic ectasia, stabilising bullous keratopathy and controlling post keratoplasty ametropia. This review provides an overview of the current evidence base for the therapeutic non-ectasia applications of cornea cross-linking and looks at future developments in the field.

Effects of air pollution on myopia: an update on clinical evidence and biological mechanisms

Myopia is one of the most common forms of refractive eye disease and considered as a worldwide pandemic experienced by half of the global population by 2050. During the past several decades, myopia has become a leading cause of visual impairment, whereas several factors are believed to be associated with its occurrence and development. In terms of environmental factors, air pollution has gained more attention in recent years, as exposure to ambient air pollution seems to increase peripheral hyperopia defocus, affect the dopamine pathways, and cause retinal ischemia. In this review, we highlight epidemiological evidence and potential biological mechanisms that may link exposure to air pollutants to myopia. A thorough understanding of these mechanisms is a key for establishing and implementing targeting strategies. Regulatory efforts to control air pollution through effective policies and limit individual exposure to preventable risks are required in reducing this global public health burden.

Global Tendency and Frontiers of Research on Myopia From 1900 to 2020: A Bibliometrics Analysis

Background:

Myopia is one of the most common causes of vision impairment in children and adults and has become a public health priority with its growing prevalence worldwide. This study aims to identify and evaluate the global trends in myopia research of the past century and visualize the frontiers using bibliometric analysis.

Methods

The literature search was conducted on the Web of Science for myopia studies published between 1900 and 2020. Retrieved publications were analyzed in-depth by the annual publication number, prolific countries and institutions, core author and journal, and the number of citations through descriptive statistics. Collaboration networks and keywords burst were visualized by VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Myopia citation network was visualized using CitNetExplorer.

Results

In total, 11,172 publications on myopia were retrieved from 1900 to 2020, with most published by the United States. Saw SM, from the National University of Singapore, contributed the most publications and citations. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science was the journal with highest number of citations. Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery with the maximum number of publications. The top 10 cited papers mainly focused on the epidemiology of myopia. Previous research emphasized myopia-associated experimental animal models, while recent keywords include “SMILE” and “myopia control” with the stronger burst, indicating a shift of concern from etiology to therapy and coincided with the global increment of incidence. Document citation network was clustered into six groups: “prevalence and risk factors of myopia,” “surgical control of myopia,” “pathogenesis of myopia,” “optical interventions of myopia,” “myopia and glaucoma,” and “pathological myopia.”

Conclusions

Bibliometrics analysis in this study could help scholars comprehend global trends of myopia research frontiers better. Hundred years of myopia research were clustered into six groups, among which “prevalence and risk factors of myopia” and “surgical control of myopia” were the largest groups. With the increasing prevalence of myopia, interventions of myopia control are a potential research hotspot and pressing public health issue.

Protective effects of riboflavin-UVA-mediated posterior sclera collagen cross-linking in a guinea pig model of form-deprived myopia

AIM

To evaluate the effect of posterior sclera collagen cross-linking induced by riboflavin-ultraviolet A (UVA) on form-deprived myopia in guinea pigs.

METHODES

Twenty-five pigmented guinea pigs of 3-week-old were randomly assigned into 4 groups that included normal control (NOR, n=7), form-deprived (FDM, n=7), normal with riboflavin-UVA cross-linking (NOR+CL, n=5) and form-deprived with cross-linking (FDM+CL, n=6). The NOR+CL group and the FDM+CL group received the riboflavin-UVA induced cross-linking at day 0. FDM was induced by monocularly deprived with facemask in the right eyes. The refraction, axial length and corneal curvature were measured by retinoscopy, A-scan and keratometer respectively in scheduled time points (day 0 and 1, 2, 3, 4wk after form-deprivation). At the end of 4 weeks' experiment, stress-strain tests of sclera were measured and morphological changes of sclera and retina were examined.

RESULTS

After 4wk, the interocular difference of refractive error were -0.11±0.67, -2.93±0.56, 1.10±0.58, and -1.63±0.41 D in the NOR, FDM, NOR+CL, and FDM+CL groups respectively. Mixed-effect linear model revealed significant effect of FDM (P<0.01) and CL (P<0.001). Also, after 4wk, the interocular difference of axial length were 0.01±0.04, 0.29±0.07, -0.13±0.06, and 0.11±0.05 mm in the NOR, FDM, NOR+CL, and FDM+CL group. Mixed-effect linear model revealed significant effect of FDM (P<0.001) and CL (P<0.01). As for corneal curvature, significant interocular difference have not found between any of the two groups. At the end of this experiment, the ultimate stress and elastic modulus were found significantly increased in both CL groups. But no difference was found in the groups without cross-linked. There was no abnormality observed in the retina and RPE cells of the treated eyes.

CONCLUSION

The posterior sclera collagen cross-linking induced by riboflavin-UVA can slow down the progress of myopia and increase the sclera biomechanical strength in the guinea pig model of form-deprived myopia.

Highlights from the 2019 International Myopia Summit on 'controversies in myopia'

Myopia is an emerging public health issue with potentially significant economic and social impact, especially in East Asia. However, many uncertainties about myopia and its clinical management remain. The International Myopia Summit workgroup was convened by the Singapore Eye Research Institute, the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness in 2019. The aim of this workgroup was to summarise available evidence, identify gaps or unmet needs and provide consensus on future directions for clinical research in myopia. In this review, among the many 'controversies in myopia' discussed, we highlight three main areas of consensus. First, development of interventions for the prevention of axial elongation and pathologic myopia is needed, which may require a multifaceted approach targeting the Bruch's membrane, choroid and/or sclera. Second, clinical myopia management requires co-operation between optometrists and ophthalmologists to provide patients with holistic care and a tailored approach that balances risks and benefits of treatment by using optical and pharmacological interventions. Third, current diagnostic technologies to detect myopic complications may be improved through collaboration between clinicians, researchers and industry. There is an unmet need to develop new imaging modalities for both structural and functional analyses and to establish normative databases for myopic eyes. In conclusion, the workgroup's call to action advocated for a paradigm shift towards a collaborative approach in the holistic clinical management of myopia.

IMI - Clinical Myopia Control Trials and Instrumentation Report

The evidence-basis based on existing myopia control trials along with the supporting academic literature were reviewed; this informed recommendations on the outcomes suggested from clinical trials aimed at slowing myopia progression to show the effectiveness of treatments and the impact on patients. These outcomes were classified as primary (refractive error and/or axial length), secondary (patient reported outcomes and treatment compliance), and exploratory (peripheral refraction, accommodative changes, ocular alignment, pupil size, outdoor activity/lighting levels, anterior and posterior segment imaging, and tissue biomechanics). The currently available instrumentation, which the literature has shown to best achieve the primary and secondary outcomes, was reviewed and critiqued. Issues relating to study design and patient selection were also identified. These findings and consensus from the International Myopia Institute members led to final recommendations to inform future instrumentation development and to guide clinical trial protocols.

Scleral structure and biomechanics

As the eye's main load-bearing connective tissue, the sclera is centrally important to vision. In addition to cooperatively maintaining refractive status with the cornea, the sclera must also provide stable mechanical support to vulnerable internal ocular structures such as the retina and optic nerve head. Moreover, it must achieve this under complex, dynamic loading conditions imposed by eye movements and fluid pressures. Recent years have seen significant advances in our knowledge of scleral biomechanics, its modulation with ageing and disease, and their relationship to the hierarchical structure of the collagen-rich scleral extracellular matrix (ECM) and its resident cells. This review focuses on notable recent structural and biomechanical studies, setting their findings in the context of the wider scleral literature. It reviews recent progress in the development of scattering and bioimaging methods to resolve scleral ECM structure at multiple scales. In vivo and ex vivo experimental methods to characterise scleral biomechanics are explored, along with computational techniques that combine structural and biomechanical data to simulate ocular behaviour and extract tissue material properties. Studies into alterations of scleral structure and biomechanics in myopia and glaucoma are presented, and their results reconciled with associated findings on changes in the ageing eye. Finally, new developments in scleral surgery and emerging minimally invasive therapies are highlighted that could offer new hope in the fight against escalating scleral-related vision disorder worldwide.

Selective Equatorial Sclera Crosslinking in the Orbit Using a Metal-Coated Polymer Waveguide

Purpose

Photochemical crosslinking of the sclera is an emerging technique that may prevent excessive eye elongation in pathologic myopia by stiffening the scleral tissue. To overcome the challenge of uniform light delivery in an anatomically restricted space, we previously introduced the use of flexible polymer waveguides. We presently demonstrate advanced waveguides that are optimized to deliver light selectively to equatorial sclera in the intact orbit.

Methods

Our waveguides consist of a polydimethylsiloxane cladding and a polyurethane core, coupled to an optical fiber. A reflective silver coating deposited on the top and side surfaces of the waveguide prevents light leakage to nontarget, periorbital tissue. Postmortem rabbits were used to test the feasibility of in situ equatorial sclera crosslinking. Tensometry measurements were performed on ex vivo rabbit eyes to confirm a biomechanical stiffening effect.

Results

Metal-coated waveguides enabled efficient light delivery to the entire circumference of the equatorial sclera with minimal light leakage to the periorbital tissues. Blue light was delivered to the intact orbit with a coefficient of variation in intensity of 22%, resulting in a 45 ± 11% bleaching of riboflavin fluorescence. A 2-fold increase in the Young's modulus at 5% strain (increase of 92% P < 0.05, at 25 J/cm2) was achieved for ex vivo crosslinked eyes.

Conclusions

Flexible polymer waveguides with reflective, biocompatible surfaces are useful for sclera crosslinking to achieve targeted light delivery. We anticipate that our demonstrated procedure will be applicable to sclera crosslinking in live animal models and, potentially, humans in vivo.

IMI - Report on Experimental Models of Emmetropization and Myopia

The results of many studies in a variety of species have significantly advanced our understanding of the role of visual experience and the mechanisms of postnatal eye growth, and the development of myopia. This paper surveys and reviews the major contributions that experimental studies using animal models have made to our thinking about emmetropization and development of myopia. These studies established important concepts informing our knowledge of the visual regulation of eye growth and refractive development and have transformed treatment strategies for myopia. Several major findings have come from studies of experimental animal models. These include the eye's ability to detect the sign of retinal defocus and undergo compensatory growth, the local retinal control of eye growth, regulatory changes in choroidal thickness, and the identification of components in the biochemistry of eye growth leading to the characterization of signal cascades regulating eye growth and refractive state. Several of these findings provided the proofs of concepts that form the scientific basis of new and effective clinical treatments for controlling myopia progression in humans. Experimental animal models continue to provide new insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of eye growth control, including the identification of potential new targets for drug development and future treatments needed to stem the increasing prevalence of myopia and the vision-threatening conditions associated with this disease.

Posterior staphyloma in pathologic myopia

A posterior staphyloma is an outpouching of a circumscribed region of the posterior fundus and has been considered a hallmark of pathologic myopia. Occurring in highly myopic eyes, it is histologically characterized by a relatively abrupt scleral thinning starting at the staphyloma edge, a pronounced de-arrangement of scleral collagen fibrils and a marked choroidal thinning, which is the most marked at the staphyloma edge and which occurs in addition to the axial elongation-associated choroidal thinning. Besides in highly myopic eyes, a posterior staphyloma can be found in non-highly myopic eyes in association with retinitis pigmentosa or localized defects of Bruch's membrane in the cases of which it is not associated with a marked choroidal thinning. The diagnosis of posterior staphylomas is considered best made by wide-field optical coherence tomography, because wide-field optical coherence tomography encompasses the entire extent of the most predominant type of staphylomas (i.e., the wide macular type) and since it also has a sufficiently high resolution of images (in contrast to ultrasonography, computed tomography and three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging). While the etiology of posterior staphylomas has remained unclear, local choroidal factors and a locally decreased biomechanical resistance of the sclera against a posteriorly expanding Bruch's membrane have been one of the assumed pathogenic parameters. For the therapy of staphylomas, scleral reinforcement strategies such as by posterior encircling bands, posterior scleral collagen cross-linking or scleral regeneration have been discussed or performed, however, with the pathogenesis being elusive, the therapy of staphylomas has remained undetermined.

Scleral ultrastructure and biomechanical changes in rabbits after negative lens application

AIM

To address the microstructure and biomechanical changes of the sclera of rabbits after negative lens application by spectacle frame apparatus.

METHODS

Five New Zealand rabbits of seven weeks post-natal were treated with -8 D lens monocularly over the course of two weeks. Refractive errors and axial length (AXL) were measured at the 1^st, 7^th and 14^th days of the induction period. Ultrastructure of sclera was determined with electron microscopy. Biomechanical properties were tested by an Instron 5565 universal testing machine.

RESULTS

Lens-induced (LI) eyes elongated more rapidly compared with fellow eyes with AXL values of 15.56±0.14 and 15.21±0.14 mm (P<0.01). Fibril diameter was significantly smaller in the LI eyes compared with control ones in the inner, middle, and outer layers (inner layer, 63.533 vs 76.467 nm; middle layer, 92.647 vs 123.984 nm; outer layer, 86.999 vs 134.257 nm, P<0.01, respectively). In comparison with control eyes, macrophage-like cells that engulfed fibroblasts, dilated endoplasmic reticulum, and vacuoles in fibroblasts were observed in the inner and middle stroma in the LI eyes. Ultimate stress and Young's modulus were lower in the LI eyes compared with those in the control eyes.

CONCLUSION

Negative lens application alters eye growth, and results in axial elongation with changes in scleral ultrastructural and mechanical properties.

Minimally Invasive Repetitive UVA Irradiation along with Riboflavin Treatment Increased the Strength of Sclera Collagen Cross-Linking

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of minimally invasive repetitive UVA irradiation along with riboflavin treatment on sclera collagen cross-linking in rabbits.

Method

Forty-eight healthy adult New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into four groups: pseudosurgery group (group I), single-irradiation group (group II), duplicate-irradiation group (group III), and triplicate-irradiation group (group IV), with 12 rabbits in each group. For the single-irradiation group, a specially made LED light source was inserted through a minimally invasive conjunctival incision to gain close contact with the sclera for irradiation, and for the repetitive irradiation groups, the above experimental procedure was repeated once or twice every other week. Biomechanical parameters of the sclera including ultimate stress (σ) and 8% Young's modulus (E) were compared among the groups.

Results

In comparison with control group I, the ultimate stress of group II, group III, and group IV increased by 80.1%, 107.9%, and 182.1%, respectively, and their 8% Young's modulus increased by 106.1%, 159.5%, and 208.5%, respectively, one day after surgery (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Repetitive minimally invasive UVA irradiation with riboflavin significantly increased biomechanical strength of the sclera in the irradiated area, and biomechanical strength increased with repeated times of irradiation.