Week in review: Zombie cells, firearm injuries, eye-tooth connection

week-in-review-zombie-cells-firearm-injuries-eye-tooth-connection.jpg

MAR 30, 2018

By Anni Griswold

Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Pediatric Ophth/Strabismus, Retina/Vitreous

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

week-in-review-zombie-cells-firearm-injuries-eye-tooth-connection-1.jpgThe retina’s immune cell population can spring back after nearing extinction, according to a mouse study by scientists at the National Eye Institute. Therapies that harness this resilience could potentially curb inflammation and slow damage from retinitis pigmentosa or AMD, experts predict. NEI

A novel ocular insert could coax the cornea to absorb more antibiotics than ever before, say researchers at Valencia's CEU Cardenal Herrera University. The bioadhesive polymer fits under the eyelid and infuses the cornea with controlled doses of moxifloxacin. The insert outperformed eyedrops and creams in rabbits, but has yet to be tested in humans. Science Daily

Firearms disproportionally injure the eyes of boys, teens and blacks, according to findings reported this week at the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus meeting. Scientists sifted through 6 years’ worth of records from the National Trauma Data Bank—including 1,972 gun injuries—and found that while most children survive the blast, many lose vision and more than half sustain severe brain damage. Healio

In the hunt for possible sources of AMD, a surprising culprit has emerged: periodontal disease. A poster presented this week at the American Association for Dental Research meeting shows that the invasive bacteria underlying chronic periodontitis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, can invade human retinal-pigment epithelial cells and produces AMD-like features when injected into the mouse retina. EurekAlert!

The Keck School of Medicine has appointed a new chair of ophthalmology. Narsing Rao, MD, an expert on uveitis and ophthalmic pathology, replaces interim chair Thomas C. Lee, MD, and assumes the responsibilities of Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, who led the department from 2014 through 2017. USC

https://www.aao.org/headline/week-in-review-zombie-cells-firearm-injuries-eye-t

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