Also in the News…

From anticoagulant AMD risks to potential new gene target identified for myopia management, these are the news stories and studies that caught our attention this week…

VR visual field platform partnership. PeriVision, a company using AI, VR, and cloud computing to reimagine the world of eyecare, has partnered with Swiss-based distributor Von Hoff to commercialize its VisionOne VR eye testing platform. Link

Back to school. The Myopia Collective, an initiative supported by CooperVision and the American Optometric Association (AOA), has launched a suite of resources to support ECPs with effective myopia management during the back-to-school season. Link

Long-term success of canaloplasty. Canaloplasty – whether performed as a standalone procedure or combined with cataract surgery – can provide long-term IOP reduction for glaucoma patients, says a new Journal of Glaucoma study. The Berlin-based researchers evaluated a total of 50 eyes in 35 subjects who had undergone canaloplasty, following up with the subjects after 10 years to determine their results. Link

Anticoagulant and nAMD links. Some blood thinners could be responsible for increasing the risk of wet AMD conversion, according to a recent Ophthalmology paper. The study noted that warfarin – an anticoagulant that exists under several brand names – was linked to a higher risk of patients developing neovascular AMD when compared with patients who were being treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). Link

Gene therapy potential for myopia. Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University, China, implemented Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess how 2,684 different genes in the blood and retina impact myopia risk. The team revealed six potential gene targets for myopia (CD34, CD55, Wnt3, LCAT, BTN3A1, and TSSK6), opening up potential new avenues for developing gene therapies for the disease. Link

Glaucoma predictions. Comparing the use of optic disc and macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements as a means of predicting visual field (VF) worsening in glaucoma patients, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine indicate that both ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) and circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cp-RNFL) thickness measurements can be useful for VF worsening prediction. However, the team note that while cp-RNFL performs better in predicting worsening in the early stages of glaucoma, GC-IPL is more efficacious during later stages. Link