Is 'preconditioning' the cornea a new key to transplant success?
July 2nd 2010British and German scientists Dr Claus Cursiefen and his colleagues have reported that transplanted corneas are more likely to fail or be rejected in patients whose eyes exhibit abnormal vessel growth, called corneal neovascularization, before surgery.
Tear cytokine and chemokine analysis and clinical correlations in evaporative-type dry eye disease
June 17th 2010In a sample of moderate evaporative-type dry eye disease patients Enriquez-de-Salamanca et al., elevated five inflammatory molecules. Fracktalkine was demonstrated to be present and elevated in tears in human DED.
Producing corneas for human transplant
December 9th 2009Northeastern University engineering professor Jeffrey Ruberti and his research colleagues are breaking new ground in the technique known as "hybrid tissue engineering" by attempting to combine cow tissue with human tissue to produce corneas for human transplant.
Progress in corneal biomechanics
October 1st 2009Researchers are looking into corneal biomechanics as a means to screen patients for keratectasia. The authors review signal interpretation from a non-contact applanation tonometer as it relates to corneal biomechanical indices such as corneal hysteresis.
Intraductal meibomian gland probing reduces inflammation
September 1st 2009A new technique of intraductal meibomian gland probing using disposable cannulas of various lengths appears highly effective in providing quick and lasting relief from inflammatory sysmptoms of obstructive meibomian gland disease.
New options in treating lid wiper epitheliopathy
September 1st 2009An oil-in-water and a corticosteroid were both effective in eliminating the signs and symptoms of lid wiper epitheliopathy after a 1-month active treatment phase in a recent study. Improvement was effectively maintained with the emollient eye drops in all patients over a 12-month period.
Cyclosporine helps prevent progression of dry eye
September 1st 2009A recent study showed that moderate to sever dry eye disease can be best treated with anti-inflammatory medications such as topical cyclosporine. According to one ophthalmologist, cyclosporine can significantly limit progression of dry eye disease and should be considered a 'go-to' therapy for this patient population.
Inflammation thwarts corneal transplants in herpes patients
July 8th 2009A further study in the July issue of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, investigated inflammation biomarkers in relation to corneal transplant rejection in herpes simplex patients. Its results have shown that inflammation thwarts corneal transplants.
Non invasive ocular drug delivery trial promising for dry eye
June 10th 2009In a dry eye Phase II clinical trial EyeGate Pharma reports that EGP-437, a corticosteroid solution administered by a non-invasive ocular drug delivery system, improved signs and symptoms in patients with dry eye syndrome (DES).