Rotational stability of plate haptic toric intraocular lenses after combined 25-gauge vitrectomy and cataract surgery

AIM:To evaluate the postoperative intraocular lens(IOL)rotational stability and residual refractive astigmatism following combined 25-gauge vitrectomy and cataract surgery with implantation of a plate haptic toric IOL.METHODS:In this retrospective case series,32 eyes of 32 patients underwent a combined 25-gauge vitrectomy and phacoemulsification for vitreoretinal diseases and cataract with regular corneal astigmatism of at least 1 diopter(D).A plate haptic toric IOL(AT Torbi 709M,Carl Zeiss Meditec AG)was implanted in all eyes.The outcome measures were rotational stability and refractive astigmatism up to 6mo postoperatively as well as the best corrected visual acuity(BCVA).RESULTS:Preoperative refractive astigmatism was 2.14±1.17 D,which was significantly reduced to 0.77±0.37 D six to eight weeks postoperatively and remained stable throughout the observation period(0.67±0.44 D at three months and 0.75±0.25 D at six months;for all groups:P<0.0001 compared to baseline).BCVA improved significantly from 0.36±0.33 logMAR preoperatively to 0.10±0.15 logMAR following surgery(P=0.02).Mean IOL axis deviation from the target axis was 3.4°±2.9°after six to eight weeks and significantly decreased over time(2.4°±2.6°six months after surgery;P=0.04).In one patient IOL,re-alignment was performed.CONCLUSION:Corneal astigmatism is significantly reduced following combined 25-gauge vitrectomy and cataract surgery.The plate haptic toric IOL position and axis remain stable during the observation period of six months.

The neuroprotective role of Wnt signaling in the retina

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been shown to play a major role during embryonic development and maturation of the central nervous system including the retina. It has a significant impact on retinal vessel formation and maturation, as well as on the establishment of synaptic structures and neuronal function in the central nervous system. Mutations in components of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade may lead to severe retinal diseases, while dysregulation of Wnt signaling can contribute to disease progression. Apart from the angiogenic role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, research in the last decades leads to the theory of a protective effect of Wnt/β-catenin signaling on damaged neurons. In this review, we focus on the neuroprotective properties of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway as well as its downstream signaling in the retina.

Pharmacological drug screening to inhibit uveal melanoma metastatic cells either via EGF-R, MAPK, mTOR or PI3K

AIM: To screen five potential pharmacological substances specifically targeting EGF-R, MAPK, mTOR, or PI3K for their antiproliferative effects, possible impact on cell viability, as well as cell death rates on three different uveal melanoma metastasis cell lines in vitro. METHODS: Three different uveal melanoma metastasis cell lines(OMM2.5, OMM2.3, and OMM1), that originated from human hepatic and subcutaneous metastasis, were exposed to inhibitors of different targets: erlotinib(EGF-R), everolimus(mTOR), selumetinib(MAPK), trametinib(MAPK) or the alkylphosphocholine erufosine(PI3K). Cell viability was assessed with a 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide(XTT) dye reduction assay after 24 h of treatment. Antiproliferative effects were evaluated separately after a 72-hour incubation of the cells with the pharmacological substance. Subsequently, the IC_(50) was calculated. Tumor cell death was investigated using a double stain apoptosis detection assay. RESULTS: Selumetinib, trametinib, and erufosine significantly decreased cell viability of all OMM cell lines(P<0.04). In addition, selumetinib and trametinib showed a significant inhibition of cell proliferation(P<0.05). Everolimus and erlotinib solely inhibited cell proliferation at the used concentrations(P<0.05). Besides an increase of necrotic cells after erufosine treatment(P<0.001), no changes in the number of dead cells for the other substances were observed.CONCLUSION: The preliminary drug screening demonstrates five new candidates, successfully targeting the canonical MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/m TOR pathways in uveal melanoma metastasis cells in vitro. Hence, these findings provide an experimental basis to explore future single or combined therapy strategies for metastatic uveal melanoma.