Novel Biomaterials in Glaucoma Treatment.

Glaucoma is a significant cause of blindness worldwide, and its treatment remains challenging. The disease progressively leads to damage to the optic disc and thus loss of visual acuity and visual field. High intraocular pressure (IOP) is a common risk factor. There are three major methods to treat this disease: topical, laser, and surgical. None of these are completely satisfactory; therefore, alternatives using new biomaterials are being sought. Since biomaterial engineering has experienced significant growth in recent decades, its products are gradually being introduced to various branches of medicine, with the exception of ophthalmology. Biomaterials, such as glaucoma drainage implants, have been successfully used to treat glaucoma. There is significant ongoing research on biomaterials as drug delivery systems that could overcome the disadvantages of topical glaucoma treatment, such as poor intraocular penetration or frequent drug administration. This article summarizes the use of novel biomaterials for glaucoma treatment presented in the literature. The literature search was based on articles published in English on PubMed.gov, Cochranelibrary.com, and Scopus.com between 2018 and 2023 using the following term "biomaterials in glaucoma." A total of 103 published articles, including twenty-two reviews, were included. Fifty-nine articles were excluded on the basis of their titles and abstracts.

Urrets-Zavalia Syndrome After Combined Trabeculotomy-Trabeculectomy Surgery.

We report a case of a rare complication after trabeculotomy combined with a small trabeculectomy with mitomycin C in a young patient with juvenile glaucoma. The patient underwent uneventful surgery. However, postoperatively, he experienced a long-lasting hypotony with the need of 2 revision surgeries and 2 short episodes of high-intraocular pressure. He developed a fixed dilated pupil over time.

Reduced Levels of Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases in UVB-Irradiated Corneal Epithelium.

Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are the major endogenous regulators of metalloproteinase activity in tissues. TIMPs are able to inhibit activity of all known matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and thus participate in controlling extracellular matrix synthesis and degradation. We showed previously elevated expressions of MMPs in the rabbit corneal epithelium upon UVB exposure and suggested that these enzymes might be involved in corneal destruction caused by excessive proteolysis. The aim of this study was to investigate TIMPs in the corneal epithelium after UV irradiation using immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. We found that as compared to control rabbit corneas where relatively high levels of TIMPs were present in the epithelium, repeated irradiation of the cornea with UVB rays (not with UVA rays of similar doses) significantly decreased TIMPs in corneal epithelial cells. The results of this study point to the suggestion that the decrease in TIMPs in the corneal epithelium after UVB irradiation contributes to increased proteolytic activity of MMPs in UVB-irradiated corneal epithelium found previously.