In a year like no other, the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has published a record 66 scientific and clinical educational papers on topics that advance academic and clinical knowledge in optometry and ophthalmology. The organization today announced its “Top 10 of 2021” list, designating particularly valuable works for the global eye care community.

As the COVID-19 pandemic kept workplaces, schools and businesses shuttered worldwide, clinical research was severely impacted. Early pandemic reports indicated that more than 65% of science and technology-related research was paused or delayed due to COVID-related closures. Yet even in the midst of widespread disruption, CORE continued to publish and present topics essential for both current practice and future ophthalmic progress.

“We found a way to overcome another year of pandemic challenges to further evolve and advance ocular science and education, thanks to my incredible colleagues at CORE and our collaborators around the globe,” says CORE Director Lyndon Jones, PhD, DSc, FCOptom, FAAO. “With our record publication volume, it would be easy to overlook some of the most critical pieces of work. The top 10 selections underscore the highest-potential research for eye care professionals, spanning topics such as dry eye, drug delivery, myopia control, eye simulation models, and future contact lens technologies.”

Papers making the “top 10” for 2021 include:

1. Ocular health of children wearing daily disposable contact lenses over a 6-year period (Woods J, et al.), Contact Lens & Anterior Eye

This manuscript presents the physiological data from a six-year daily disposable soft lens wearing, global, multi-site trial; CORE was the largest clinical site in this trial. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2020.11.011

2. Lysozyme Deposition on Contact Lenses in an In Vitro Blink-Simulation Eye Model Versus a Static Vial Deposition Model (Chan V, et al.), Eye & Contact Lens

This paper compares lysozyme deposition on contact lenses using two in vitro models; a static vial versus a sophisticated in vitro eye model with a blinking mechanism. https://doi.org/10.1097/ICL.0000000000000784

3. All soft contact lenses are not created equal (Efron N, et al.), Contact Lens & Anterior Eye

CORE Director Lyndon Jones is a contributor to this broad-ranging, evidence-based review that considers potential complications induced by inappropriate substitution without practitioner oversight. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2021.101515

4. Contact lens technologies of the future (Jones L, et al.), Contact Lens & Anterior Eye

In this extensive review, CORE’s Lyndon Jones and Chau-Minh Phan and colleagues from around the globe report on the use, or potential use, of contact lenses for a wide-range of novel functions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2021.02.00

5. Development of an In Vitro Blink Model for Ophthalmic Drug Delivery (Phan C, et al.), Pharmaceutics

This paper from the OcuBlink team at CORE describes the development of an eye model for testing drug release from a contact lens on the eye, which allows us to better predict the on-eye performance of ophthalmic formulations and devices. This, in turn, could lead to informing the direction for industry R&D and the development of improved products. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13030300

6. Bulbar redness and dry eye disease: comparison of a validated subjective grading scale and an objective automated method (Schulze M, et al.), Optometry & Vision Science

In their study, Marc Schulze and colleagues from CORE used the Oculus K5M and the validated bulbar redness (VBR) scale to evaluate whether objectively and subjectively graded ocular redness levels can be used to discriminate between dry eye and non-dry eye patients. https://doi.org/10.1097/opx.0000000000001638

7. The Impact of Incubation Conditions on in Vitro Phosphatidylcholine Deposition on Contact Lens Materials (Walther H, et al.), Optometry & Vision Science

This research by CORE researcher Hendrik Walther and colleagues explores various aspects of lipid uptake that may impact contact lens performance. https://doi.org/10.1097/opx.0000000000001680

8. Clinical practice patterns in the management of dry eye disease: A TFOS international survey (Wolffsohn J, et al.), Ocular Surface

In this paper, CORE was part of an international survey effort to examine the clinical practice patterns of optometrists and ophthalmologists from 51 countries. This paper found that management strategies depended highly on severity and subtype, and on the country. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2021.04.011

9. Optimization of goblet cell density quantification methods (Yang M, et al.), Experimental Eye Research

This paper investigated the nuances and various methods for quantifying goblet cell density and was achievable only through a collaboration between the clinical and basic science expertise at CORE. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exer.2021.108607

10. Uptake and release of a multipurpose solution biocide (MAP-D) from hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lenses using a radiolabel methodology (Yee A, et al.), Eye & Contact Lens

Alan Yee, a CORE PhD student, reports on a methodology evaluating the uptake and release of a common biocide (myristamidopropyl dimethylamine; MAP-D) using a novel radiolabelled method. https://doi.org/10.1097/icl.0000000000000724

CORE offers a searchable database of its nearly 2,500 peer-reviewed papers, professional articles, continuing education presentations, and scientific presentations dating back to the early 1980s. That resource is available at https://core.uwaterloo.ca/publications/.

Source: Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)