In a recent well written, compelling article published in Nature Communications, “Endothelial activation of caspase-9 promotes neurovascular injury in retinal vein occlusion,” Avrutsky et al show that caspase-9 inhibition is a promising treatment for retinal vein occlusion. Retinal vein occlusion models hypoxic-ischemic neurovascular damage and is the second leading cause of blindness in working-age adults.
23.06
2020
Targeting VEGF164 in Müller cells may be useful to treat retinopathy of prematurity
In Nature’s Scientific Reports, Becker et al use the Phoenix MICRON® IV, OCT, and focal ERG to assess the therapeutic value of knocking down a splice variant of VEGF in Müller cells in a model of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). ROP is characterized by delayed vascularization of the retina after disrupted oxygen levels, followed by
20.05
2020
Imaging unanesthetized mice with the Phoenix MICRON® OCT provides consistent retinal degeneration measurements
In the recently published review, “Mouse Models of Inherited Retinal Degeneration with Photoreceptor Cell Loss,” researchers from The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine and Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand performed an extensive literature search to find mouse models of single-gene mutations leading to photoreceptor loss and retinal degeneration. Using the Phoenix MICRON® III and
09.11
2019
Treating retinitis pigmentosa with cassia seed: Retinal layer analysis with the Phoenix MICRON OCT and Insight software
Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disorder that leads to severe vision impairment and blindness. The photoreceptors die off in a self-propelling cycle of rod and cone dysfunction, leading to glial activation and death, leading to more dysfunction. There are a few experimental treatments but no widespread effective treatment or cure. Cassia seed is used in
20.09
2019
Phoenix MICRON® OCT tracks individual stem cells in the rat retina
In the July edition of Nanomedicine journal, Chemla et al demonstrate a fascinating and novel way to label and track individual photoreceptor precursor cells migrating within the retina with fluorescence and gold nanoparticle tagging using the Phoenix MICRON® and OCT. Many retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa are characterized by photoreceptor
26.08
2019
The Secret to a Perfect Fundus Image
Hint: It Starts with the Animal Angle During our hands-on training, we review animal positioning until every user is completely comfortable. But like most other lab equipment task, it does take some practice. Aligning the animal just right can be the difference between a great and a good fundus image. We’ve put together a