Cataract Patients Looking to Avoid Surgery?

HOT TOPIC

Potential Nonsurgical Cataract Treatment Found in Protein From Ground Squirrels

American researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified a protein, RNF114, that shows promise for reversing cataracts.

The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, was conducted on 13-lined ground squirrels and rats. These animals naturally develop cataracts during hibernation; however, they disappear when their body temperature returns to normal. In studying this phenomenon, researchers have discovered that the RNF114 protein plays a critical role in this process.

To determine whether RNF114 could be delivered as a drug, researchers attached it to a small molecule that enabled it to enter cells. The researchers added the protein to rat eye lenses before cold exposure, and the resulting cataracts cleared after rewarming. Similar results were observed with zebrafish eyes that developed cataracts after exposure to hydrogen peroxide. These findings suggest a potential new drug treatment strategy.

My Two Cents

Obviously, this is very early in the research process. However, it makes intuitive sense. By looking to nature, we can often get a better idea of how to fix some of our most concerning ailments. The discovery of the RNF114 protein could lead to a surgery-free approach to managing cataracts, which could be especially beneficial in areas of the world where access to proper cataract surgery is limited. I’m excited to keep an eye on this research to see if anything comes of it in the future.

OUTSIDE THE LANE

Smartphone App in Development Could Detect Depression

According to Stevens Institute of Technology, one of their professors, Sang Won Bae, PhD, is working on several AI-powered smartphone applications and systems that could noninvasively detect depression. “Depression is a major challenge,” says Dr. Bae. “And since most people in the world today use smartphones daily, this could be a useful detection tool that’s already built and ready to be used.”

One such application Dr. Bae is developing with Stevens doctoral candidate Rahul Islam is called PupilSense, which constantly takes snapshots and measurements of a smartphone user’s pupils. For decades, research has proven that changing pupillary reflexes and responses are correlated to depression. The app can calculate pupil diameters by comparing them with the eye’s surrounding iris. It takes 10-second burst photos when the users open their phones or while viewing certain social media and other apps.

In one of the system's first tests with 25 volunteers over a 4-week study period, approximately 16,000 pupil interactions were collected. The AI system differentiated “normal” responses from “abnormal” responses. The photo data were then compared with the volunteer’s self-reported moods. One version of PupilSense, known as TSF, proved 76% accurate at identifying times when patients did feel depressed.

Also of note, the creators of PupilSense are developing another system called FacePsy that will be designed to examine facial expressions for insights into depression and other moods. The app runs in the background of a phone, taking facial snapshots when the device is opened or when popular applications are opened. (Read more here.)

My Two Cents

Although I’m not who takes “selfies” often and wouldn’t be excited about potentially hundreds of them being taken without my permission each day, what a novel idea! We know the pupil changes with different moods and emotions, so an app that tracks that seems very realistic. Let’s see how this develops.

CAN YOU RELATE

In September, I spent nearly every weekend lecturing at various conferences, including Vision Expo West in Las Vegas and MOD Live in Nashville. It was a lot—in fact, it was too much. For years, I made a point of saying “Yes” to every opportunity offered to me. However, the fact that I’ve been away from home “doing eye stuff” so much recently hit home when my 6-year-old son, Brooks, had a flag football game last Saturday. I missed it because I was lecturing, and it was the first time I’ve ever missed an activity with him. He called me after his game and asked where I was. He told me how he scored all four of his team’s touchdowns and wished I was there. It was an absolute gut punch.

For the rest of the conference, I was inconsolable, and I vowed I would be more prudent in my speaking engagements from that moment on. I emailed a few contacts and told them I would immediately be cutting down my availability.

As much as I enjoy lecturing and getting out there to share the word about the newest advances and treatments in eye care and see all my professional friends, I’m still a single dad and my son is the most important thing in this world to me. I won’t miss another one of his events. Family should always come first! When Brooks becomes a teenager and no longer thinks his dad is a superhero and wants to spend every waking moment with me, I’ll ramp up my conference attendance again.