Scientists regenerate neurons in mice with spinal cord injury and optic nerve damage

New research by scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine Temple University (LKSOM) shows, however, that gains in functional recovery from these injuries may be possible, thanks to a molecule known as Lin28, which regulates cell growth. In a study published online in the journal Molecular Therapy, the Temple researchers describe the ability of Lin28 -- when expressed above its usual levels -- to fuel axon regrowth in mice with spinal cord injury or optic nerve injury, enabling repair of the body's communication grid.

"Our findings show that Lin28 is a major regulator of axon regeneration and a promising therapeutic target for central nervous system injuries," explained Shuxin Li, MD, PhD, Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology and in the Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and senior investigator on the new study. The research is the first to demonstrate the regenerative ability of Lin28 upregulation in the injured spinal cord of animals.

"We became interested in Lin28 as a target for neuron regeneration because it acts as a gatekeeper of stem cell activity," said Dr. Li. "It controls the switch that maintains stem cells or allows them to differentiate and potentially contribute to activities such as axon regeneration."

To explore the effects of Lin28 on axon regrowth, Dr. Li and colleagues developed a mouse model in which animals expressed extra Lin28 in some of their tissues. When full-grown, the animals were divided into groups that sustained spinal cord injury or injury to the optic nerve tracts that connect to the retina in the eye.

Another set of adult mice, with normal Lin28 expression and similar injuries, were given injections of a viral vector (a type of carrier) for Lin28 to examine the molecule's direct effects on tissue repair.

Extra Lin28 stimulated long-distance axon regeneration in all instances, though the most dramatic effects were observed following post-injury injection of Lin28. In mice with spinal cord injury, Lin28 injection resulted in the growth of axons to more than three millimeters beyond the area of axon damage, while in animals with optic nerve injury, axons regrew the entire length of the optic nerve tract. Evaluation of walking and sensory abilities after Lin28 treatment revealed significant improvements in coordination and sensation.

"We observed a lot of axon regrowth, which could be very significant clinically, since there currently are no regenerative treatments for spinal cord injury or optic nerve injury," Dr. Li explained.

One of his goals in the near-term is to identify a safe and effective means of getting Lin28 to injured tissues in human patients. To do so, his team of researchers will need to develop a vector, or carrier system for Lin28, that can be injected systemically and then hone in on injured axons to deliver the therapy directly to multiple populations of damaged neurons.

IF you suffer from frequent headaches, it might be time to schedule an eye exam.

IF you suffer from frequent headaches, it might be time to schedule an eye exam.

For many people, headaches can be a symptom of uncorrected vision problems. This doesn’t happen in all cases of uncorrected or undiagnosed vision problems, and of course not all headaches are caused by vision problems, but the connection is a significant one — just one more reason why regular eye exams are important!

Effects of Eye Strain

In this age of technology, many of us spend hours and hours on a work computer or a smart phone. As convenient as these devices are, they are also the main culprits behind eye strain, which has symptoms like tired, aching eyes, blurred vision, and even frequent headaches.

But even if your screens aren’t the problem, eye strain still might be. Uncorrected visual acuity problems like astigmatism, hyperopia, and presbyopia can all put a lot of strain on the eyes. With astigmatism, the cornea is an abnormal shape, bending light in strange ways and causing a lot of squinting, which can contribute to headaches.

Hyperopia or farsightedness occurs when the eye focuses images behind the retina instead of directly on it, making close objects appear blurred. This can make reading smaller print a literal headache. The same applies to presbyopia, which can affect many people who have never needed glasses before. As we age, the lenses in our eyes become less flexible, which makes it harder to focus on near objects.

These Problems Aren’t Unique to Adults

If a child has frequent headaches, undiagnosed vision problems could be responsible, even if they read the letters on the big E chart in the school nurse’s office with no trouble. Comprehensive eye exams with the eye doctor will determine whether there are any other vision problems causing headaches or difficulty in school, and then we can plan the best way to treat them.

An Updated Prescription Can Make a Huge Difference

For most of us, changes in our vision can be so gradual that we may not notice that our glasses aren’t helping as much as they used to for quite a while. In most cases where headaches are connected to eye problems, a simple updated glasses or contact lens prescription may do the trick.

Headaches and Sight-Threatening Conditions

Unfortunately, not every case of headaches related to eye problems is as simple as needing a new prescription. Headaches can also be a symptom of glaucoma, an eye disease characterized by building pressure against the optic nerve that leads to vision loss. Cataracts, too, can cause headaches. Cataracts are the clouding of the lens of the eye, gradually obscuring vision.

Keep Up with Your Eye Exams

You might think that you would notice if you had an eye problem, but our eyes and brains work hard to compensate when something goes wrong, so it’s harder to recognize than you might expect. If you haven’t found an explanation for your frequent headaches, it might be a good idea to cross eye problems off the list by scheduling your next appointment with us.

Can the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Affect the Eyes? A Review of Corona viruses and Ocular Implications in Humans and Animals

A Review ofCoronaviruses and Ocular Implications in Humans and Animals

In December 2019, a unique coronavirus epidemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus – 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged from China. This virus causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since then, there are anecdotal reports of ocular infection. The ocular implications of human (CoV) infections haven't been widely studied. However, CoVs are known to cause various ocular infections in animals. Clinical entities like conjunctivitis, anterior uveitis, retinitis, and optic neuritis are documented in feline and murine models. This evidence suggesting possible human CoV infection of ocular tissue is surveyed. We hope that this may function a start for further research into the ocular implications of human CoV infections.

CoVs rose to public prominence after the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.The SARS-CoV outbreak was reported to possess infected over 8000 people and resulted in 774 deaths globally. Since then, the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has also been within the public spotlight.

A set of recommendations for private protective equipment (PPE) supported the experience of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV are released.7 This set of advice includes wearing goggles or faceshield for defense against ocular transmission of the CoV.

The Coronavirus Structure and Host:

The CoV name may be a derivative from the Latin word corona which suggests crown. this can be because of the characteristic structure of the virus whereby surface projections on the viral envelope provides it an appearance almost like a crown. The virus may be a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus with a genome of around 30 kb long. This makes them the most important known RNA viruses. The S-protein is answerable for attachment to host receptors, M protein helps shape the virion particles and binding to nucleocapsid, E-protein plays a job within the assembly and release of particles while N-protein aids with the binding of the genome to a replication-transcription complex which is required for the replication of genomic material.

Human Coronaviruses and also the Evidence for OcularManifestations

There are seven types CoVs known to infect humans

·         Alpha coronavirus 229E

·         Alpha coronavirus NL63

·         Beta coronavirus OC43

·         Beta coronavirus HKU1

·         Beta coronavirus MERS-CoV

·         Beta coronavirus SARS-CoV

·         And Recent SARS-CoV-2(COVID-19)

Feline Coronaviruses and Ocular Manifestations:

The feline CoV (FCoV) is an Alphacoronavirus that affects both domestic and wild cats. Approximately 20–60% of domestic cats are seropositive, while in animal shelters, the seropositive rates can approach almost 90%. FCoVs is further classified into two biotypes which reflect very varied clinical presentations.

·         Feline enteric CoV (FECV)

·         Feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV)

In majority of those seropositive cases, the FCoVs exist as FECV. For many of the FECV cases, the infection is typically benign or related to a self-limiting diarrhea. This can be because FECV has been shown to demonstrate tropism to the apical epithelium of the intestinal villi from the tiny intestine to the cecum. As such, FECV shedding in feline feces is answerable for the fecal–oral spread and maintenance of FECV infection in feline populations, explaining the high seropositive rates of the infection.

The ocular manifestation of FIP is probably going because of underlying vasculitis, leading to inflammation of varying ocular segments. During a study that observed FIPV-infected felines and their offspring, 90% of the infected cats had FCoV antigen detected within the conjunctiva. Viral isolates from conjunctival swabs also contained live FCoV which suggest that ocular tissues and secretions were potentially infectious additionally. Furthermore, the initially healthy offspring, after being kept with the infected parents for 100 days, developed recurrent bouts of conjunctivitis. Except for conjunctivitis, ocular manifestations include pyogranulomatous anterioruveitis, choroiditis with detachment of the retina and retinal vasculitis. In general, ocular manifestations of FIPV infection have poor prognosis both visually and systemically.

 Conclusion:

As CoVs can cause ocular infection across different animals, the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 having ocular implications can't be ignored. However, the examples in animals also highlight that CoVs are a heterogeneous group of viruses that may cause ocular implications through a good sort of mechanisms. A number of these mechanisms are extremely different from those adopted by human CoVs. Nevertheless, there are lessons to be learned by understanding these infections. Firstly, CoVs are capable of manufacturing a good spectrum of ocular manifestations from anterior segment pathologies like conjunctivitis and anterior uveitis to sight-threatening conditions like retinitis and optic neuritis. Secondly, it's going to even be prudent to acknowledge that CoVs also can develop in-vivo mutations which drastically alter the manifestations of the disease.

Given the anecdotal nature of evidence regarding SARS-CoV-2 transmission through ocular tissue, more research must be done to verify its ability to infect ocular tissue and its pathogenic mechanisms. Because the current epidemic continues, an improved understanding of the virus will emerge, hopefully with more emphasis on research into the connection between human CoVs and also the eye. This understanding won't only help to guide infection control measures but also can provide insights on the feasibility of using ocular tissue or perhaps tears as a medium of diagnosis. Meanwhile, ophthalmologists and other health-care workers should still err on the side of caution and still prevent the possible transmission of CoVs through ocular tissue. 

Can Supplements Improve Eye Health and Vision

   Can Supplements Improve Eye Health and Vision

You’ve probably heard someone say, “Eat your carrots, they’re good for your eyes.” you'll need also seen advertisements for nutritional supplements for eye health.  Vitamins and minerals benefit your eye health and vision. Keep reading to seek out out more about supplements and eye health.

Plenty of claims are made about the positive effects of supplements on vision and eye health, but only some research studies support these claims. One exception is that the Age-Related disease Studies. These are large studies conducted by the National Eye Institute.

The studies focused on two conditions that affect voluminous Americans, age-related degeneration and cataracts.

Age-related degeneration (AMD)

AMD occurs when there’s deterioration of light-sensitive cells within the macula area of the retina. this could be the a component of the eye responsible for:

• Recording what we see and sending the information to our brains

• Seeing fine detail

• Focusing

Cataracts

A cataract may be a clouding of the lens of the eye. it's visiting impair your ability to see to a tolerable degree to perform daily tasks and will deteriorate over time.

In study participants, the prospect of AMD and high vision loss was reduced by 25 percent over six years. In people with AMD, the condition was slowed only in people with moderate AMD. Supplements weren't effective for people with mild or very advanced stages.

Lutein and zeaxanthin supplements taken as a component of the AREDS2 formulation were seen to reduce the requirement for cataract surgery by 32 percent in those that initially had low dietary levels of these carotenoids.

What supplements may help my eye health

The following supplements, including the antioxidants found in AREDS2 capsules, are shown to be beneficial for some people.

1.      Lutein and Zeaxanthin Lutein:  Carotenoids are pigments found in plants and in your retina. Supplementing these pigments helps increase their density in your retina. They also absorb high-energy blue and actinic ray which is able to damage your eyes.

 Zinc: Also found naturally in your eyes, zinc may be a strong antioxidant that protects against cell damage. Zinc is that the first mineral within the AREDS2 formulation. When taking zinc, copper absorption is lessened. It’s recommended that zinc be combined with copper supplements.

 Thiamin (thiamine): Vitamin B1 is vital for the health of your eyes. There’s evidence that thiamin, gaga other vitamins, may reduce your risk of getting cataracts, but more research is required.

 Omega-3 fatty acids: The diet of most Americans doesn’t contain enough omega-3 fatty acids, the foremost source of which is fish. Photo receptors cells in your retina contain an oversized quantity of omega-3 acid. It’s believed that omega-3 carboxylic acid , a kind of omega-3 acid, helps within the event of retinal cells. It’s also thought to possess a task in reducing inflammation and helping cells of the retina and also the cornea heal and regenerate after damage due to light exposure and aging.

 Vitamin C: Several large studies show that vitamin reduces the prospect of getting some styles of cataracts. Two of these studies also found that a an Supplements Improve Eye Health and Vision.

Do you need supplements?

Diet must always be your primary source of vitamins and minerals. However, the National Eye Institute advises that the high doses found in AREDS2 can’t be obtained from diet alone.

Drink many water. Although recommendations vary by weight, adults should drink, roughly, between 1.5 liters (6 ¼ cups) and a couple of liters (8 1/3 cups) of fluid daily.

• Keep your eyes moist with artificial tears.

• Change your furnace or air conditioning filters regularly.

• Avoid environments with dusty or dirty air.

When must you see your doctor?

Consult your ophthalmologist before taking AREDS2. An ophthalmologist may be a doctor who focuses on eye health. Your doctor are going to be ready to determine if the supplements are going to be effective, given the status of your eye health.

Can I use supplements to enhance my eye health?

Your eyes and vision are plagued by many factors, including genetics and age. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating a diet that contains antioxidant-rich foods can contribute significantly to the health of your eyes.

Tips for eye health

• There are much stuff you can do to learn your eye health.

• Don’t smoke. Smoking damages blood vessels within the eyes and may cause cataracts, degeneration, and other sight problems.

• Protect your eyes from UV. Wear sunglasses when you’re outdoors and avoid staring directly into bright lights.

• Maintain a healthy weight and a vigorous lifestyle.

• After age 60, get a dilated eye exam annually

The Naked Eye - Cataract Surgery

       The Naked Eye - Cataract Surgery   

A cataract might be a vaporization of the lens in your eye. It affects your vision. Cataracts square measure quite common in older people. By age of eighty, over 0.5 all Americans have either a cataract or have cataract surgery.

A cataract can occur in either or every eyes. It cannot unfold from one eye to the alternative. Common symptoms are:

• Muzzy vision

• colours that seem lightweight

• Glare- headlights, lamps or daylight might appear too bright. You may in addition see a halo around          lights.

• Not having the flexibility to ascertain well within the dark

• Diplopia

• Frequent prescription changes in your eye wear.

Cataracts typically develop slowly. New glasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare glasses or magnifying lenses can facilitate at first. Surgery is in addition associate risk. It involves removing the cloudy lens and exchanges it with an artificial lens. Carrying glasses and a hat with a brim to dam ultraviolet daylight would possibly facilitate to delay cataracts.

What Causes Cataracts?

There square measure several underlying causes of cataracts. These include:

• AN overrun of oxidants, that square measure molecules that area unit chemically altered due to ancient life style

• Smoking

• Actinic radiation

• The long use of steroids and completely different medications

• Sure diseases, like inherited disease

• Trauma

• Radiation treatment

Types of Cataracts

There square measure different types of cataracts. They’re classified supported where and also the method they develop in your eye.

• Nuclear cataracts kind inside the center of the lens and cause the nucleus, or the center, to become yellow or brown.

• Animal tissue cataracts square measure wedge-shaped and kind around the edges of the nucleus.

• Posterior capsular cataracts kind faster than the alternative a pair of varieties and have an impression on the rear of the lens.

• Non-Inheritable cataracts, that square measure gift at birth or kind throughout a baby’s first year, square measure less common than age-related cataracts.

• Secondary cataracts square measure caused by illness or medications. Diseases that square measure connected with the event of cataracts embody disease and inherited disease. The use of the steroid anti-inflammatory drug and completely different medications can generally cause cataracts.

• Traumatic cataracts develop once associate injury to the eye, but it'll take a few years for this to happen.

• Radiation cataracts can kind once somebody undergoes radiation treatment for cancer.

Identification Cataracts

Your doctor will perform a comprehensive eye communication to establish for cataracts and to assess your vision. This may embody fastened a watch fixed chart take a glance at to establish your vision at utterly completely different distances and tonometry to measure your eye pressure.

The most common tonometry take a glance at uses an easy puff of air to flatten your membrane and take a glance at your eye pressure. Your doctor can place drops in your eyes to make your pupils larger. This makes it easier to establish the nerves and membrane at the rear of your eye for injury.

Treatment of Cataracts

If you’re unable or tired of surgery, your doctor might even be able to assist you manage your symptoms. They’re going to counsel stronger eyeglasses, magnifying lenses, or glasses with associate anti-glare coating.

Medications

Some medications, like general, topical, or inhaled corticosteroids, would possibly increase the possibility of cataract development Corticosteroids most generally cause posteriorsubcapsular cataracts people with psychopathy sometimes have risk factors for lens opacities but antianxiety agent medications square measure unlikely to contribute to cataract formation Miotics and triparanol would possibly increase the possibility.