Elevating brain fluid pressure could help prevent vision loss related to conditions such as glaucoma.

 

Scientists have found that pressure from the fluid surrounding the brain plays a role in maintaining proper eye function. Their findings were recently presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), in Florida.

 

In patients with an illness like glaucoma, in which vision loss is associated with elevated intraocular pressure, the optic nerve bends backward towards the brain and away from the eye. After conducting an experiment on rats, the researchers found that an increase in pressure of the fluid surrounding the brain counterbalanced the elevated intraocular pressure. This prevented the optic nerve from bending backward.

 

Rats with higher fluid pressure from the brain maintained their ability to respond to light better than rats with lower pressure. These findings might explain why some people with normal eye pressure develop glaucoma, and why people with intraocular pressure never develop the condition.

Source:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/elevating-brain-fluid-pressure-could-prevent-vision-loss

 

Contact lenses coated with an antimicrobial peptide could help to lower the risk of eye infections, according to the authors of a paper recently published in Optometry and Vision Science.

 

“This study has shown that melimine coated contact lenses can be safely worn by humans without any major side effects,” wrote the authors from The University of South Wales, in Australia.

 

Melimine is not an antibiotic, but rather a cationic peptide with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. It is already part of the immune system of all multicellular organisms that have the innate ability to inhibit microbial growth.

 

The researchers tested disposable contact lenses to which melimine was molecularly bonded. In a first study, rabbits wore the lenses for three weeks, without any problems. In a subsequent study, humans wore them for a day. In addition to not causing any health problems, the lenses had the usual characteristics of wettability, surface deposits, lens stability, comfort, and coverage of the cornea. 

 

“While the study is one of the earlier demonstrations, it does appear to be promising,” concluded Dr. Anthony Addams, editor-in-chief of the magazine.

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424112744.htm

 

 

Researchers from Cornell University, in New York State, report that drinking coffee may protect against deteriorating eyesight, even blindness.

 

Although the most well-known coffee ingredient is caffeine, it also contains about 7–9% chlorogenic acid (CGA). Past studies indicated that this antioxidant could be a powerful neuroprotector and block the deprivation of oxygen in certain areas of the body (hypoxia).

 

However, the retina is particularly prone to this problem.

 

“The retina is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body, consuming oxygen more rapidly than any other tissues, including the brain,” the researchers explain. “Therefore, it is susceptible to a variety of diseases caused by oxidative stress, including AMD, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.”

 

The researchers tested the effects of CGA on retinal ganglion cells that were exposed to hypoxia in mice. They discovered that the cell damage could be reduced when the cells were pretreated with this acid. The team then induced retinal damage in the eyes of mice and tested the effects of coffee extract and CGA. Both substances reduced cell mortality, thus helping to prevent retinal degeneration.

Source:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/276519.php

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bacterial strain that causes microbial keratitis shows alarming resistance to contact lens disinfectant solutions.

 

In the United Kingdom, researchers from The University of Liverpool and The Royal Liverpool University NHS Trust tested the ability of different strains of the keratitis-causing bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa to survive in commonly used contact lens cleaning solutions. They compared nine different strains of P. aeruginosa, with P. aeruginosa strain 9027, the standard strain used by lens solution manufacturers.

 

Although the majority of these strains were killed after about ten minutes of being immersed in the contact lens solution, one of them, the P. aeruginosa strain 39016, survived for over four hours. However, it is associated with a more severe case of keratitis.

 

“Microbial keratitis can be devastating for a patient – it is important that the risk of developing this condition is reduced in contact lens wearers by improving contact lens disinfectant solutions,” says Professor Craig Winstanley, who led the research.

 

The researchers will now investigate the extent of the bacterial resistance of this strain and the underlying mechanisms to help develop more effective products.

Source:

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140416190926.htm

 

The Board of Directors at Allergan, the manufacturer of Restasis eye drops, formally rejected the unsolicited takeover bid from Quebec-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals.

 

Allergan says that the $52-billion offer in cash and stock undervalues the company and does not reflect its potential for growth. The Board has targeted a 20% to 25% increase in its earnings per share and expects a strong increase in revenue in 2015.

 

In a letter sent to his counterpart at Valeant, the CEO of Allergan also questioned how Valeant would achieve the level of cost cuts it is proposing without harming the long-term viability of Allergan. Valeant estimates that the acquisition will generate $3.3 billion in operating cost savings as a result of synergies.

 

Far from giving up, Valeant quickly responded, stating that the offer would be increased. The details are to be announced May 28. Furthermore, Pershing Square Capital Management, Valeant’s partner in this purchase offer, hopes to obtain the complete list of Allergan’s shareholders. Valeant would like to organize a “referendum” to determine whether shareholders want to see the two companies negotiate the merger. Valeant could even ask for a special meeting to be held to replace some or all of Allergan’s Board members.

Sources:

http://www.lesaffaires.com/secteurs-d-activite/sante-pharmaceutique-et-biotechnologies/allergan-rejette-l-offre-de-valeant/568801

http://eyewiretoday.com/view.asp?20140512-allergan_rejects_valeant_pharmas_cut_and_slash_takeover