A novel injectable thermo/photo dual-crosslinking hydrogel based on modified chitosan for fast sealing open globe injury.

Open globe injuries (OGIs) demand immediate attention to prevent further complications and improve vision prognosis. Herein, we developed a thermo/photo dual-crosslinking injectable hydrogel, HBC_m_Arg, for rapidly sealing OGIs in emergency ophthalmic cases. HBC_m_Arg was prepared with arginine and methacrylic anhydride modified hydroxybutyl chitosan (HBC). HBC_m_Arg was initially in liquid form at 25 °C, enabling easy injection at the injury site. After reaching the ocular surface temperature, it underwent reversible heat-induced gelation to achieve in situ transformation. Further, HBC_m_Arg was capable of rapid photocrosslinking under UV light, forming a dual network structure to bolster mechanical strength, thereby facilitating effective OGI closure. Biocompatibility assessments, including in vitro studies with three ocular cell types and in vivo experiments on rabbit eyes, confirmed the safety profile of HBC_m_Arg. Ex vivo and in vivo burst pressure tests demonstrated the hydrogel's ability to promptly restore intraocular pressure and withstand elevated pressures, underscoring its potential for OGI stabilization. Additionally, the suitable degradation of HBC_m_Arg within ocular tissues, coupled with its stability in ex vivo assessments, presented a delicate balance between stability and biodegradability. In conclusion, HBC_m_Arg holds promise for improving emergency ophthalmic care by providing a rapid, effective, and safe way to seal OGIs in critical situations.

An AS-OCT image dataset for deep learning-enabled segmentation and 3D reconstruction for keratitis.

Infectious keratitis is among the major causes of global blindness. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) images allow the characterizing of cross-sectional structures in the cornea with keratitis thus revealing the severity of inflammation, and can also provide 360-degree information on anterior chambers. The development of image analysis methods for such cases, particularly deep learning methods, requires a large number of annotated images, but to date, there is no such open-access AS-OCT image repository. For this reason, this work provides a dataset containing a total of 1168 AS-OCT images of patients with keratitis, including 768 full-frame images (6 patients). Each image has associated segmentation labels for lesions and cornea, and also labels of iris for full-frame images. This study provides a great opportunity to advance the field of image analysis on AS-OCT images in both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) and would aid in the development of artificial intelligence-based keratitis management.

LncRNA LINC00667 gets involved in clear cell renal cell carcinoma development and chemoresistance by regulating the miR-143-3p/ZEB1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is identified as a malignant tumor in the urinary tract. The research was an attempt to probe the biological function and molecular mechanism of lncRNA LINC00667 in ccRCC development. METHODS: qRT-PCR monitored LINC00667, miR-143-3p, and ZEB1 levels. The models of LINC00667, miR-143-3p, and ZEB1 overexpression or knockdown were constructed in ccRCC cells. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of the cells were detected. The levels of apoptosis-associated proteins and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins, and ZEB1 were detected by WB. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay identified the binding association between LINC00667 and miR-143-3p, miR-143-3p and ZEB1. Moreover, a xenograft tumor model in nude mice was used for evaluating tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: LINC00667 and ZEB1 displayed high expression in ccRCC tissues and cells. miR-143-3p was lowly expressed in ccRCC tissues and cells. LINC00667 targeted and repressed miR-143-3p, which inhibited ZEB1 expression in a targeted manner. Overexpression of LINC00667 facilitated ccRCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT and retarded apoptosis, whereas LINC00667 knockdown or miR-143-3p overexpression exerted reverse effects. The rescue experiments indicated that overexpressing miR-143-3p dampened LINC00667-mediated oncogenic effects. Overexpressing ZEB1 diminished miR-143-3p-mediated tumor-suppressive effects. In-vivo experiments displayed that overexpression of LINC00667 contributed to the tumor growth of ccRCC cells, in contrast to miR-143-3p overexpression, which restrained the tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: LINC00667 is up-regulated in ccRCC and enhances the ZEB1 expression by targeting miR-143-3p, which in turn accelerates ccRCC progression and induces chemoresistance.

Azithromycin-carrying and microtubule-orientated biomimetic poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds for eyelid reconstruction.

Introduction: Tarsal plate repair is the major challenge of eyelid reconstruction for the oculoplastic surgeon. The ideal synthetic tarsal plate substitute should imitate the microstructure and mechanical strength of the natural eyelid. The aim of this work was to develop a novel bionic substitute for eyelid reconstruction. Methods: Three types of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffolds (random, oriented, and azithromycin-loaded oriented scaffolds) were prepared using an improved thermal-induced phase separation technique. The microstructure of the scaffolds was examined by scanning electron microscopy. In vitro cytotoxicity was assessed using scaffold extracts. Fibroblast and primary rat meibomian gland epithelial cells (rMGCs) were cultured within the scaffolds, and their behavior was observed using fluorescence staining. Three types of PLGA scaffolds were implanted into rabbit eyelid defect in vivo to evaluate their inductive tissue repair function. Results: We successfully fabricated three types of PLGA scaffolds with varying pore architectures, and the axially aligned scaffold demonstrated interconnected and vertically parallel channels. In vitro cytotoxicity tests using scaffold extracts revealed no apparent cytotoxicity. Fluorescence staining showed that both Fibroblast and rMGCs could adhere well onto the pore walls, with fibroblast elongating along the axially aligned porous structure. At 8 weeks post-implantation, all scaffolds were well integrated by fibrovascular tissue. The axially aligned scaffold groups exhibited faster degradation compared to the random scaffold group, with smaller fragments surrounded by mature collagen fibers. Conclusion: The study found that the axially aligned scaffolds could well support and guide cellular activities in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the axially aligned scaffold group showed a faster degradation rate with a matched integration rate compared to the random scaffold group. The findings suggest that the oriented scaffold is a promising alternative for eyelid tarsal plate substitutes.

Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmic Surgery: Current Applications and Expectations.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has found rapidly growing applications in ophthalmology, achieving robust recognition and classification in most kind of ocular diseases. Ophthalmic surgery is one of the most delicate microsurgery, requiring high fineness and stability of surgeons. The massive demand of the AI assist ophthalmic surgery will constitute an important factor in boosting accelerate precision medicine. In clinical practice, it is instrumental to update and review the considerable evidence of the current AI technologies utilized in the investigation of ophthalmic surgery involved in both the progression and innovation of precision medicine. Bibliographic databases including PubMed and Google Scholar were searched using keywords such as "ophthalmic surgery", "surgical selection", "candidate screening", and "robot-assisted surgery" to find articles about AI technology published from 2018 to 2023. In addition to the Editorials and letters to the editor, all types of approaches are considered. In this paper, we will provide an up-to-date review of artificial intelligence in eye surgery, with a specific focus on its application to candidate screening, surgery selection, postoperative prediction, and real-time intraoperative guidance.

Reducing tumescent anesthetic injection pain by topical anesthesia pretreatment among patients undergoing endovenous radiofrequency ablation of varicose veins: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Tumescent anesthesia frequently causes the intraoperative and postoperative pain during radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of varicose veins. We have to find a way to reduce pain caused by these injections. This randomized controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of topical anesthesia pretreatment (TAP) on relieving needle puncture pain during administration of tumescent anesthesia among patients undergoing RFA of varicose veins. METHODS: Eligible patients treated with RFA were recruited and randomized to either application of TAP with lidocaine-prilocaine cream (EMLA) or water-based cream (placebo). The primary outcome was patient described pain scores on the visual analogue scale (VAS) at different time points during the procedure. Secondary outcomes were technical success rate, complications, satisfaction level, expense, and extra analgesia use. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients were randomized: 32 to EMLA and 30 to placebo. Both groups had comparable baseline demographics, CEAP classification, and Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS). Less tumescent anesthetic needle puncture pain was found in the EMLA group (22 ± 7 vs 42 ± 8, p < .01). Pain scores of other time points were equivalent. There was less pain in EMLA pretreated area compared to non-pretreated area in the same patient during needle puncture (22 ± 7 vs 45 ± 7, p < .01), and similar phenomena did not appear in the placebo group. There was no statistical difference in complications, satisfaction level, expense, and technical success between the two groups. And no extra analgesia was used in all patients. CONCLUSION: We recommend the routine use of TAP to reduce the needle puncture pain during tumescent anesthesia in RFA of lower extremity varicose veins.

miR-630 functions as a tumor oncogene in renal cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate multiple cell processes during cancer progression. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignancy with a poor prognosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the roles of miR-630 in RCC progression. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Expression of miR-630 was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in four renal cancer cell lines (786-O, ACHN, Caki-1, and Caki-2) and one normal human proximal tubule epithelial cell line (HK-2). Next, miR-630 inhibitor was used to inhibit miR-630 expression in 786-O cells. Finally, its effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were evaluated. RESULTS: The expression level of miR-630 was higher in renal cancer cell lines 786-O, ACHN, Caki-1, and Caki-2 than that in the normal renal cell line HK-2 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a proliferation assay, apoptosis assay, migration assay and invasion assay were performed, and the results showed that down-regulation of miR-630 expression by miR-630 inhibitor significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, which meanwhile induced cell apoptosis of the renal cancer cell line 786-O. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first time that miR-630 expression has been shown to be associated with renal cancer progression, and down-regulation of miR-630 can inhibit tumor progression, which provides a potential therapeutic target for renal cancer treatment.

Up-regulation of miR-630 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma is associated with lower overall survival.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that regulate multiple cellular processes during cancer progression. MiR-630 has recently been identified to be involved in tumorigenesis of several cancers such as lung cancer and gastric cancer. However, the regulation of miR-630 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has not yet been reported before. METHODS: Expression of miR-630 was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR in tumour and their normal matched tissues in n = 92 ccRCC patients, and its association with overall survival of patients was analyzed by statistical analysis. RESULTS: The expression level of miR-630 was significantly higher in renal cancer in comparison to normal matched tissue (P < 0.05). It is also proved that miR-630 expression was to be associated with renal cancer histologic grade, lymphnode metastasis, distant metastasis (P < 0.05). In addition, the Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that high miR-630 expression was associated with poor prognosis in ccRCC patients. miR-630 expression was an independent prognostic marker of overall ccRCC patient survival in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The study proves for the first time that miR-630 is upregulated in a majority of ccRCC patients. It also shows that miR-630 expression is an independent prognostic factor for patients with renal cancer, which might be a potential valuable biomarker for ccRCC.