Eyelid contour deformities occur in aging and a number of medical conditions such as Graves disease, ptosis, postoperative lid abnormalities, and congenital lid abnormalities. Digital analysis of eyelid position and contour has the potential to objectively characterize the eyelid examination and improve preoperative and postoperative assessment. (more...)

This invention provides microRNA therapeutics that augment blood vessel growth, which may have application for indications where it is desired to reduce or stimulate angiogenesis. Reducing or inhibiting angiogenesis may be useful for indications such as degenerative eye diseases and cancer. Stimulating blood vessel growth may be useful for treating indications such as cardiovascular, thrombotic or ischemic diseases. Cells lining blood vessels are usually among the least proliferative cell types, but this desired quiescence may be interrupted in response to growth factors during pathological neovascularization manifested in disease states such as macular degeneration and cancer. MicroRNAs are known to be key regulators of angiogenesis and specific miRNAs have been found to be effective toward these indications. (more...)

Available for licensing are patent rights in a method of creating nanostructured membranes with topographic features that closely mimic the topographic environment of a variety of basement membranes found in the body. These membranes therefore can provide a means for controlling a number of important cell behaviors. (more...)

Among all solid organ or tissue transplantations, corneal transplantation is the most successful, with a 2-year survival rate of 90% in patients with inflamed and avascular (low-risk) graft beds.  Unfortunately, the rejection rate reaches as high as 50-90% when the grafting is performed on inflamed and highly vascularized (high-risk) corneas. Many patients who are blind as a result of corneal diseases fall in this category after traumatic, inflammatory, infectious, or chemical damage. Such patients are not considered as good candidates for transplantation surgery and have to give up their hope for vision restoration. To address these challenges, investigators at University of California at Berkeley have developed a technical strategy using a combined blockade of VEGFR-3 and VLA-1 that markedly improves high-risk corneal transplant transparency and survival. This strategy suppresses lymphatic vessels in grafted corneas. It provides a new and powerful strategy to combat high-risk corneal transplant rejection. The strategy may also be used to treat low-risk transplant rejection and other immune-or lymphatic-related diseases. It can be locally or systemically administered. (more...)

Lymphatic dysfunction has been found in many disorders from transplant rejection to cancer metastasis, but there is little effective treatment for lymphatic diseases. The cornea is an ideal site for lymphatic research due to its accessible location, transparent nature, and lymphatic-free but –inducible features. Because there are no pre-existing vessels to consider at this site, it is exceptionally straightforward and accurate to evaluate new lymphatic events in the cornea. Since lymphatic vessels are not easily visible, previous studies using the cornea have relied on traditional immunohistochemistry assays with dead tissues. Currently, there is no means of direct and harmless visualization of lymphatic vessels within live cornea.   Investigators at University of California at Berkeley have addressed this challenge by developing the first live imaging of corneal lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic specific dye is injected into the subconjunctival space to visualize lymphatic vessels at various stages in the cornea under a fluorescence stereo-, confocal, or two-photon microscope. Lymphatic vessels can be labeled in different colors to produce two-, three-, and four-dimensional images or live videos at a molecular level. The investigators have demonstrated a proof of principle in live mouse cornea. The technique allows time course tracking of dynamic lymphatic processes within the same tissue or subject over a short or long period of time. Live imaging of corneal lymphatic vessels allows visualization of lymphatic vessels in their natural morphology, state, and interactions with the local environment. Live imaging of corneal lymphatic vessels is readily applicable to patient examination as the lymphatic dye of dextran is bio-degradable and harmless to human health. (more...)

Recently, a joint research team at UC San Diego developed a new model for a retinal prosthesis, applying single-photon sensitive nano-wires as artificial rods and cones within the human eye. This therapy will provide great relief to patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration and retina pigmentosa. Presently the technology is undergoing advanced testing through a partnership between UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering, Institute for Neural Computation and the Jacobs Retina Center. Additional patient trials are required, but interested parties are invited to meet the research team and learn about this exciting new technological opportunity. (more...)

Amyloids are insoluble fibrous protein aggregates that accumulate in various organs throughout the human body. It has been clinically proven that abnormal accumulation of beta-amyloids in the brain is associated with various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease. Diagnostic biomarkers currently in clinical development are limited to small radio-labeled molecules for detection of amyloidosis through PET or SPECT imaging modes. There remains a pressing need for the design and development of new imaging agents for conclusive early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, ideally through widely accessible detection platforms. (more...)

University researchers have invented an approach to develop compounds the use of which would lessen the need for surgical placement and replacement of intravitreal implants for treating chronic vitreoretinal diseases. Frequent injections of therapies can lead to retinal detachment and endophthalmitis, and are extremely inconvenient to the patient. By developing a compound that has the property of being intravitreally injectable and long-acting, University researchers have come up with a way to administer therapy to the eye that does not require surgery or frequent injections. Animal studies have confirmed that the half-life of a therapeutic may be extended to between 8 to 20 weeks, or more. (more...)

Although algorithms and chemistries for developing new therapeutic entities are constantly evolving, none can replicate the path and novelty of natural selection over eons of time. Inventors at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have engaged their fleet of research ships to cull the oceans for marine organisms from which new compositions are isolated.  Using a variety of culture systems, selective fractionation and bioassays, two, distinct classes of compounds, isolated from actinomycetes, have demonstrated potent anti-tumor activity and considerable selectivity toward some cancers. One class of compounds, the ammosamides, are unique molecules that target a previously untargeted intracellular pathway. It is anticipated that proprietary methods and naturally evolved compositions may yield therapeutics that are significantly differentiated from those developed by limited iteration of pre-defined platforms. (more...)

Actinomycetes are well known soil bacteria that were once believed to occur in the ocean only when washed in from land. Today, it is clear that unique populations of marine actinomycetes reside in ocean sediments and that these bacteria are fundamentally different from those on land. Although terrestrial actinomycetes have been the source of many of today's more than 120 drugs, marine actinomycetes have only recently been incorporated into the discovery process. These bacteria are now proving to be a particularly rich source of unique natural products, many of which display potent biological activities. (more...)

Diabetes is a condition that affects blood vessels throughout the body, particularly in the kidneys and eyes. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and is the leading cause of new blindness in the United States. Diabetic retinopathy results when diabetes affects vessels in the eyes, producing abnormalities such as microaneurysms and hemorrhages. These abnormalities are the same color as that of blood vessels, causing some areas of the normal blood vessel system in the retina to be erroneously classified as defects. Automated systems for detecting diabetic retinopathy have been plagued by high false alarm rates. Performance reported from prior systems using a matched filter response was below the level of a human operator. (more...)