Systemic 7-methylxanthine in retarding axial eye growth and myopia progression: a 36-month pilot study

The adenosine antagonist 7-methylxanthine (7-mx) works against myopia in animal models. In a clinical trial, 68 myopic children (mean age 11.3 years) received either placebo or 7-mx tablets for 12 months. All participants subsequently received 7-mx for another 12 months, after which treatment was stopped. Axial length was measured with Zeiss IOL-Master and cycloplegic refraction with Nikon Retinomax at −6, 0, 12, 24, and 36 months. Axial growth was reduced among children treated with 7-mx for 24 months compared with those only treated for the last 12 months. Myopia progression and axial eye growth slowed down in periods with 7-mx treatment, but when the treatment was stopped, both myopia progression and axial eye growth continued with invariable speed. The results indicate that 7-mx reduces eye elongation and myopia progression in childhood myopia. The treatment is safe and without side effects and may be continued until 18–20 years of age when myopia progression normally stops

Retinal gene therapy in patients with choroideremia: initial findings from a phase 1/2 clinical trial

Background: Choroideremia is an X-linked recessive disease that leads to blindness due to mutations in the CHM gene, which encodes the Rab escort protein 1 (REP1). We assessed the effects of retinal gene therapy with an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector encoding REP1 (AAV.REP1) in patients with this disease.Methods: In a multicentre clinical trial, six male patients (aged 35-63 years) with choroideremia were administered AAV.REP1 (0·6-1·0×10(10) genome particles, subfoveal injection). Visual function tests included best corrected visual acuity, microperimetry, and retinal sensitivity tests for comparison of baseline values with 6 months after surgery. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01461213.Findings: Despite undergoing retinal detachment, which normally reduces vision, two patients with advanced choroideremia who had low baseline best corrected visual acuity gained 21 letters and 11 letters (more than two and four lines of vision). Four other patients with near normal best corrected visual acuity at baseline recovered to within one to three letters. Mean gain in visual acuity overall was 3·8 letters (SE 4·1). Maximal sensitivity measured with dark-adapted microperimetry increased in the treated eyes from 23·0 dB (SE 1·1) at baseline to 25·3 dB (1·3) after treatment (increase 2·3 dB [95% CI 0·8-3·8]). In all patients, over the 6 months, the increase in retinal sensitivity in the treated eyes (mean 1·7 [SE 1·0]) was correlated with the vector dose administered per mm(2) of surviving retina (r=0·82, p=0·04). By contrast, small non-significant reductions (p&gt;0·05) were noted in the control eyes in both maximal sensitivity (-0·8 dB [1·5]) and mean sensitivity (-1·6 dB [0·9]). One patient in whom the vector was not administered to the fovea re-established variable eccentric fixation that included the ectopic island of surviving retinal pigment epithelium that had been exposed to vector.Interpretation: The initial results of this retinal gene therapy trial are consistent with improved rod and cone function that overcome any negative effects of retinal detachment. These findings lend support to further assessment of gene therapy in the treatment of choroideremia and other diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, for which intervention should ideally be applied before the onset of retinal thinning<br/

Amiloride does not protect retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in optic neuritis in a phase 2 randomised controlled trial

Background: Recent basic and clinical evidence suggests amiloride may be neuroprotective in multiple sclerosis (MS) through the blockade of the acid sensing ion channel. Objective: To examine the neuroprotective efficacy of amiloride in acute optic neuritis (ON). Methods: 48 patients were recruited to a phase 2, double blind, single site, randomised controlled trial with scanning laser polarimetry (GDx) at 6 month as a primary outcome measure, optical coherence tomography (OCT), visual and electrophysiological secondary outcome measures. Participants aged 18­55 years, ≤ 28 days of onset of first episode unilateral ON, were randomised to amiloride (10mg daily for 5 months) or placebo. (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT 01802489) Results: ITT cohort consisted of 43 patients; 23 placebo, and 20 amiloride. No significant drug related adverse events occurred.No significant differences were found in GDx (p=0.840). Visual evoked potentials were significantly prolonged in the amiloride group compared to placebo (p=0.004). All other secondary outcome measures showed no significant difference. Baseline analysis of OCT data demonstrated a significant pre-randomisation thinning of ganglion cell layer. Conclusion: Amiloride has not demonstrated any neuroprotective benefit within this trial paradigm but future neuroprotective trials in ON should target the window of opportunity to maximize potential neuroprotective benefit.</p

Amiloride does not protect retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in optic neuritis in a phase 2 randomised controlled trial

Background: Recent basic and clinical evidence suggests amiloride may be neuroprotective in multiple sclerosis (MS) through the blockade of the acid sensing ion channel. Objective: To examine the neuroprotective efficacy of amiloride in acute optic neuritis (ON). Methods: 48 patients were recruited to a phase 2, double blind, single site, randomised controlled trial with scanning laser polarimetry (GDx) at 6 month as a primary outcome measure, optical coherence tomography (OCT), visual and electrophysiological secondary outcome measures. Participants aged 18andshy;55 years, andle; 28 days of onset of first episode unilateral ON, were randomised to amiloride (10mg daily for 5 months) or placebo. (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT 01802489) Results: ITT cohort consisted of 43 patients; 23 placebo, and 20 amiloride. No significant drug related adverse events occurred.No significant differences were found in GDx (p=0.840). Visual evoked potentials were significantly prolonged in the amiloride group compared to placebo (p=0.004). All other secondary outcome measures showed no significant difference. Baseline analysis of OCT data demonstrated a significant pre-randomisation thinning of ganglion cell layer. Conclusion: Amiloride has not demonstrated any neuroprotective benefit within this trial paradigm but future neuroprotective trials in ON should target the window of opportunity to maximize potential neuroprotective benefit.</p

Visual acuity after retinal gene therapy for Choroideremia

Two recent clinical reports of retinal gene therapy with adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors in patients with Leber’s congenital amaurosis showed initial gains in visual function that subsequently declined. We previously reported early improvement in visual acuity in two of six patients who received retinal gene therapy in one eye (the study eye) to treat choroideremia, a disease that is characterized by atrophy of the choriocapillaris and retinal pigment epithelium and involves vision loss that leads to blindness

GABAergic agents modify the response of chick scleral fibroblasts to myopic and hyperopic eye cup tissues

Purpose: GABA antagonists inhibit experimental myopia in chick and GABA receptors have been localized to chick sclera and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The RPE and the choroid alter scleral DNA and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in vitro; opposite effects have been observed for tissues from myopic and hyperopic eyes. The aim was to determine the effect of GABAergic agents on the DNA and GAG content of chick scleral fibroblasts directly and in co-culture with ocular tissues from myopic and hyperopic chick eyes. Materials and Methods: Primary cultures of fibroblastic cells expressing vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin were established. GABAergic agents were added separately (i) to the culture medium of the scleral cells and (ii) to the culture medium of the scleral cells with the addition of posterior eye cup tissue (retina, RPE, retina + RPE, choroid + RPE) to cell culture inserts. Ocular tissues were obtained from chick eyes wearing + 15D (lens-induced hyperopia, LIH) or −15D lenses (lens-induced myopia, LIM) for three days (post-hatch day 5–8) (n = 12). GAG and DNA content of scleral fibroblasts were measured. Results: GABA agents had a small direct effect on scleral cell GAG and DNA content but a larger effect was measured when GABA agents were added to the culture medium with myopic and hyperopic RPE and choroid + RPE tissues. GABA agonists increased (p = 0.002) whereas antagonists decreased (p = 0.0004) DNA content of scleral cells; effects were opposite for scleral GAG content. GABA agents significantly altered the effect of both LIM and LIH tissues (p = 0.0005) compared to control; the effects were greater for LIM tissue versus LIH tissue co-culture (p = 0.0004). Conclusion: GABAergic agents affect the DNA and GAG content of scleral fibroblasts both directly and when co-cultured with ocular tissues. GABA antagonists that prevent myopia development in chick model could act via a scleral mechanism utilizing the RPE/choroid