Single-cell analysis tools for drug discovery and development

The genetic, functional or compositional heterogeneity of healthy and diseased tissues presents major challenges in drug discovery and development. Such heterogeneity hinders the design of accurate disease models and can confound the interpretation of biomarker levels and of patient responses to specific therapies. The complex nature of virtually all tissues has motivated the development of tools for single-cell genomic, transcriptomic and multiplex proteomic analyses. Here, we review these tools and assess their advantages and limitations. Emerging applications of single cell analysis tools in drug discovery and development, particularly in the field of oncology, are discussed

Neovascular Glaucoma After Photoradiation Therapy for Uveal Melanoma

• We describe two patients (two eyes) with neovascular glaucoma following photoradiation therapy (PRT) for ciliary body and iris melanoma. Histopathologic examination in one eye eight months after treatment disclosed widespread tumor necrosis. The second patient with iris melanoma showed total clinical disappearance of the lesion and regression of iris neovascularization six months later. The cause of the neovascular glaucoma is uncertain. The marked tumor necrosis induced by PRT might have resulted in release of a vasoproliferative factor that, in turn, led to the development of rubeosis and neovascular glaucoma

Hematoporphyrin Photoradiation Therapy for Intraocular and Orbital Malignant Melanoma

• Photoradiation therapy (PRT) is a new technique that is currently under investigation for the treatment of a variety of solid malignant tumors. The technique involves systemic administration of hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD), a photosensitizing compound that is preferentially retained by malignant cells and photoactivation of the neoplasm with red light (630 nm) to achieve selective destruction of cancer cells. We used HpD PRT for seven patients with malignant melanoma of the uvea and conclude that initial results of HpD PRT for uveal malignant melanoma are encouraging and justify further investigation