Premium
Patients in the DARC: drops revealing retinal ganglion cells in vivo
Author(s) -
CORDEIRO MF
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2010.2452.x
Subject(s) - glaucoma , medicine , clinical trial , neuroprotection , neuroscience , ophthalmology , optometry , pathology , psychology , pharmacology
Purpose To provide a review of current & future DARC imaging technologies and their application to neuroprotection Methods Currently, lowering IOP remains the only clinical therapy available in the treatment of glaucoma, despite the evidence that vision loss can continue in the presence of “significant” IOP reduction. Neuroprotection has been increasingly recognized as an important alternative treatment approach, but its emergence has also highlighted the need for both better defined end‐points in clinical glaucoma research, as well as earlier and better detection and measures of progression. This could have been a factor in the recent memantine trial. A recent FDA/NEI meeting on end‐points in glaucoma emphasized the need for new measurements. As the RGC is the primary injured neuron in this disease, it would seem logical that any modality that could directly measure RGC dysfunction and disease would be ideal. Perhaps the greatest changes that we have encountered recently are in the field of imaging technologies, which have only relatively recently been applied to the eye. Results Advances in this area have allowed unprecedented in vivo access to the retinal layers, using many different properties of light to differentiate cellular structures. DARC is a technology shortly to enter clinical trials which allows the visualization of “sick” RGCs. Conclusion Over the next few years, developments in therapy & diagnostic using DARC should offer great potential in glaucoma and other neurodegenerative conditions.Commercial interest