June 2021
Volume 62, Issue 8
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2021
Local dexamethasone treatment to maintain allogeneic islet grafts in the Anterior Chamber of the Eye (ACE)
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Sai Bo Bo Tun
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
    Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Per-Olof Berggren
    Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
  • Gavin Siew Wei Tan
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
    Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
  • Yusuf Ali
    Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
  • Veluchamy A Barathi
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
    Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Sai Bo Bo Tun, None; Per-Olof Berggren, Biocrine (I); Gavin Siew Wei Tan, None; Yusuf Ali, None; Veluchamy Barathi, None
  • Footnotes
    Support  NTU_start-up_M4230003, LFG_2015, NMRC/CG-INCEPTOR/Pre-Clinical Core Platform/2017_SERI
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2021, Vol.62, 1176. doi:
  • Views
  • Share
  • Tools
    • Alerts
      ×
      This feature is available to authenticated users only.
      Sign In or Create an Account ×
    • Get Citation

      Sai Bo Bo Tun, Per-Olof Berggren, Gavin Siew Wei Tan, Yusuf Ali, Veluchamy A Barathi; Local dexamethasone treatment to maintain allogeneic islet grafts in the Anterior Chamber of the Eye (ACE). Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2021;62(8):1176.

      Download citation file:


      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

      ×
  • Supplements
Abstract

Purpose : Pancreatic islet transplantation into the anterior chamber of the eye (ACE) has been shown to improve the glycaemic control and metabolic parameters in both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetic non-human primates (NHPs). This novel transplantation site also allows the delivery of therapeutic agents, such as immunosuppressive drugs, locally to circumvent unwanted systemic side effects.

Methods : Local anti-inflammatory or immunosuppression treatment using micronized dexamethasone (DEX) implant was done intravitreally. Allogeneic transplantation of pancreatic islets was done into the ACEs of non-human primates (allogeneic grafts without immunosuppression, CTL, n=2 eyes; allogeneic grafts with local immunosuppression treatment, DEX, n=8 eyes). Survival of the transplanted islet grafts and DEX concentration in the ACE were assessed in parallel for 24 weeks.

Results : DEX was detected in the aqueous humour of the ACE with a peak at week 8 and started to taper off by week 15. Islet grafts with local DEX treatment showed significantly better survival than the non-treated CTL islets (median survival time- 12 weeks vs 3 weeks, log-rank test p<0.0001). Islet grafts showed a good functional response to high glucose stimulation even though a high dose of DEX showed a transient suppression of islet graft function at week 8 to 12.

Conclusions : The ACE may turn out to be a novel and superior site for pancreatic islet transplantation to treat diabetes and local dexamethasone treatment is a potential therapeutic approach to maintain long-term function and survival of allogeneic islet grafts.

This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.

×
×

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

Sign in or purchase a subscription to access this content. ×

You must be signed into an individual account to use this feature.

×