Streptozotocin (STZ) induced hyperglycemic rats, commonly used in preclinical diabetic retinopathy (DR) research, have poor response to the most used laboratory rodent anesthesia such as medetomidine/ketamine mixture (MK), and are prone to develop various welfare issues. The purpose of this study was to compare medetomidine/midazolam/butorphanol anesthesia (MMB) to MK in the STZ induced DR rat model to validate injectable anesthesia with less side effects and faster recovery time without compromising the DR development.

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The current study aimed to design and test a white light induction system using energy efficient LEDs capable of producing photoreceptor degeneration in a dose-dependent manner.

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Synthetic peptide hydrogels are promising scaffolds where cornea epithelium and other cell types can be grown into in vitro cultures. The aim of this study was to develop a corneal model employing a peptide hydrogel layer as a mimetic of corneal stroma. The model was used in the assessment of corneal cytotoxicity and penetration properties of prostaglandin analogs that are considered as first-line treatment for glaucoma.

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Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complex disease displaying diverse vascular-associated complications, including upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A165, enhanced vascular permeability, and retinal angiogenesis. Current animal models do not fully replicate the spectrum of DR pathologies. In this study, we aim to evaluate the efficacy of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated long-term expression of human VEGF to establish angiogenic DR-related phenotypes in Brown Norway rats, as well as validate a novel artificial intelligence (AI) framework for autonomous quantification of retinal angiogenesis in a newly established DR model.​

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This study defines ocular adenosine metabolism as a complex and spatially integrated network and further characterizes the critical role of CD73 in maintaining the functional activity of retinal cells.

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Optimization of nanoparticule-based antioxidant formulations with the goal to minimize instillation frequency may represent future therapeutic options for dry eye disease and related ocular surface disease.

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