Posterior Capsule Opacification Drug Discovery Service

After decades of accumulation, Creative Biolabs has developed into a reputable service provider. With extensive experience and advanced platforms, we specialize in providing one-stop posterior capsule opacification (PCO) research services to clients all over the world to facilitate your projects.

Background of PCO

Cataracts are one of the leading causes of vision loss. Surgical intervention is an effective strategy for the treatment of cataracts. The product of cataract surgery is the capsular bag, where the intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted during surgery. This process facilitates good vision recovery, unfortunately, PCO occurs when a lens implant forms a cloudy layer of scar tissue, which can cause your vision to be blurred. PCO occurs after cataract surgery in about 20% of patients, and in almost all cases presents some fibrotic features.

Fig.1 Representative images of different grades of posterior capsule opacification. (Gu, 2022)

Interventions for Preventing PCO

Many factors are closely linked to PCO, such as surgical factors, age and intraocular inflammation. It has been reported that the incidence of PCO can be reduced by improving the IOL design, especially the square edge profile. However, despite these improvements, some patients still develop PCO, which puts a strain on socioeconomic and patient quality of life. What's more, PCO is usually treated by using a special laser capsulotomy. However, laser therapy may damage the IOL optics, temporarily increase intraocular pressure (IOP), and increase the risk of retinal detachment. Notably, the cost of laser therapy also limits its widespread use. For the above reasons, it is necessary to develop new methods to reduce the impact of PCO on patients.

Models for PCO

PCO is a major fibrotic disease that affects millions and leads to the failure of cataract surgery. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of PCO is essential for developing therapeutic strategies to prevent or delay PCO-induced vision deterioration. For this, a good experimental model needs to be established. Currently, many experimental platforms play a crucial role in studying PCO, ranging from in vivo animal models to in vitro human cell and tissue culture models.

• Cell culture models

Cell culture is the most convenient way to explore PCOs, as cell lines from native tissues are useful for characterizing PCO. These cellular models allow the identification of factors that can stimulate or inhibit proliferation and migration. Furthermore, assessing cell culture represents an active growth system and thus can serve as a very suitable and valuable tool for studying PCO.

• Animal models

The availability of human tissue is limited, therefore, animal models can effectively simulate and establish the in vivo situation of PCO. Currently, a number of animal models have been successfully applied to study the mechanisms driving PCO and in some cases to assess IOL. Furthermore, the advantages of these models with complete inflammatory responses contribute to the major factors and mechanisms driving PCO expansion, providing new ideas for establishing new therapeutic approaches.

Services for PCO Research

• In Vitro Services
• In Vivo Services
• Ex Vivo Services
• Discovery Services
• Development Services
• Mechanism of Action (MoA) Studies

If you have any difficulties with your PCO project, please feel free to contact us for a customized solution.

Reference

1. Gu, X.; et al. Early-Onset Posterior Capsule Opacification: Incidence, Severity, and Risk Factors. Ophthalmol Ther. 2022, 11: 113–123.