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My Top Five: Promising gene therapies for ocular conditions

Gene therapy, a pivotal advancement in modern medicine, particularly shines in ophthalmology. By targeting defective genes with engineered vectors, this approach promises significant strides in treating inherited retinal diseases. This article reviews the top five gene therapies in late-stage trials,...

Q&A: Mr Goel and Mr Loomba on alcohol delamination and phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) for the treatment of recurrent corneal erosion syndrome

Recurrent corneal erosion syndrome is a common, recurrent condition caused by abnormal epithelial adhesion to the underlying basal lamina. Spontaneous breakdown of the corneal epithelium can lead to the sudden onset of ocular pain, blurred vision, tearing and photophobia, typically...

A window to 2024 and beyond?

The connection between the eye and systemic diseases has been acknowledged for millenia. Historical records suggest that ancient civilisations had some understanding of the eye’s significance beyond its primary function in vision. For instance, in ancient Egypt, the ‘Eye of...

Emerging developments in dry eye

An estimated 344 million people worldwide suffer from dry eye [1]. This chronic syndrome is characterised by a vicious cycle of tear film hyperosmolarity, tear instability and corneal stress, leading to increased friction, inflammation, ocular surface damage and decreased visual...

Cutting-edge practice in glaucoma care: what, how and why?

More effective treatments and drug delivery modalities, implantable minimally invasive glaucoma surgical (MIGS) devices, as well as accelerating clinical research programmes, will transform the surgical and clinical management of glaucoma in the near future. There is also an ever-greater emphasis...

The role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of DMO

Diabetic macular oedema (DMO) is a major cause of visual loss in diabetes, with a complex multifactorial pathogenesis. In the UK alone it is estimated that there are nearly 2.5 million diabetic patients aged over 12 years. Approximately 65,000 of...

Pathophysiology of diabetic macular oedema: why combination therapy may be better

The prevalence of diabetes has continued to increase over the years. It is currently estimated that there are 382 million with diabetes worldwide in 2013, and that this figure is expected to rise to 592 million by 2035 [1]. In...

A paradigm shift in the way we approach cataract surgery

Cataract surgery is the most common elective surgical procedure in the UK [1], with in the region of 350,000 cases being conducted each year. With an ageing population, this figure will only continue to rise over time. Cataract surgery is...