@article {2019, title = {Calpains as mechanistic drivers and therapeutic targets for ocular disease.}, journal = {Trends Mol Med}, volume = {28}, year = {2022}, month = {2022 08}, pages = {644-661}, abstract = {

Ophthalmic neurodegenerative diseases encompass a wide array of molecular pathologies unified by calpain dysregulation. Calpains are calcium-dependent proteases that perpetuate cellular death and inflammation when hyperactivated. Calpain inhibition trials in other organs have faced pharmacological challenges, but the eye offers many advantages for the development and testing of targeted molecular therapeutics, including small molecules, peptides, engineered proteins, drug implants, and gene-based therapies. This review highlights structural mechanisms underlying calpain activation, distinct cellular expression patterns, and in vivo models that link calpain hyperactivity to human retinal and developmental disease. Optimizing therapeutic approaches for calpain-mediated eye diseases can help accelerate clinically feasible strategies for treating calpain dysregulation in other diseased tissues.

}, keywords = {Calcium, Calpain, Cell Death, Humans, Retina}, issn = {1471-499X}, doi = {10.1016/j.molmed.2022.05.007}, author = {Vu, Jennifer T and Wang, Elena and Wu, Jolan and Sun, Young Joo and Velez, Gabriel and Bassuk, Alexander G and Lee, Soo Hyeon and Mahajan, Vinit B} } @article {663, title = {Calpain-5 Expression in the Retina Localizes to Photoreceptor Synapses.}, journal = {Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci}, volume = {57}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 05 01}, pages = {2509-21}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: We characterize calpain-5 (CAPN5) expression in retinal and neuronal subcellular compartments.

METHODS: CAPN5 gene variants were classified using the exome variant server, and RNA-sequencing was used to compare expression of CAPN5 mRNA in the mouse and human retina and in retinoblastoma cells. Expression of CAPN5 protein was ascertained in humans and mice in silico, in mouse retina by immunohistochemistry, and in neuronal cancer cell lines and fractionated central nervous system tissue extracts by Western analysis with eight antibodies targeting different CAPN5 regions.

RESULTS: Most CAPN5 genetic variation occurs outside its protease core; and searches of cancer and epilepsy/autism genetic databases found no variants similar to hyperactivating retinal disease alleles. The mouse retina expressed one transcript for CAPN5 plus those of nine other calpains, similar to the human retina. In Y79 retinoblastoma cells, the level of CAPN5 transcript was very low. Immunohistochemistry detected CAPN5 expression in the inner and outer nuclear layers and at synapses in the outer plexiform layer. Western analysis of fractionated retinal extracts confirmed CAPN5 synapse localization. Western blots of fractionated brain neuronal extracts revealed distinct subcellular patterns and the potential presence of autoproteolytic CAPN5 domains.

CONCLUSIONS: CAPN5 is moderately expressed in the retina and, despite higher expression in other tissues, hyperactive disease mutants of CAPN5 only manifest as eye disease. At the cellular level, CAPN5 is expressed in several different functional compartments. CAPN5 localization at the photoreceptor synapse and with mitochondria explains the neural circuitry phenotype in human CAPN5 disease alleles.

}, keywords = {Animals, Blotting, Western, Calpain, Cattle, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Male, Mice, Neoplasms, Experimental, Photoreceptor Cells, Retina, Retinal Neoplasms, Retinoblastoma, RNA, Neoplasm, Synapses, Tumor Cells, Cultured}, issn = {1552-5783}, doi = {10.1167/iovs.15-18680}, author = {Schaefer, Kellie A and Toral, Marcus A and Velez, Gabriel and Cox, Allison J and Baker, Sheila A and Borcherding, Nicholas C and Colgan, Diana F and Bondada, Vimala and Mashburn, Charles B and Yu, Chen-Guang and Geddes, James W and Tsang, Stephen H and Bassuk, Alexander G and Mahajan, Vinit B} } @article {713, title = {Quantitative autofluorescence as a clinical tool for expedited differential diagnosis of retinal degeneration.}, journal = {JAMA Ophthalmol}, volume = {133}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Feb}, pages = {219-20}, keywords = {Adult, ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters, Diagnosis, Differential, DNA, DNA Mutational Analysis, Fluorescein Angiography, Fundus Oculi, Humans, Male, Mutation, Optical Imaging, Retina, Retinal Degeneration, Retinitis Pigmentosa}, issn = {2168-6173}, doi = {10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2014.4507}, author = {Marsiglia, Marcela and Lee, Winston and Mahajan, Vinit B and Zernant, Jana and Delori, Fran{\c c}ois C and Tsang, Stephen H and Sparrow, Janet R} } @article {725, title = {Decreased macular thickness in nonproliferative macular telangiectasia type 2 with oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.}, journal = {Retina}, volume = {34}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jul}, pages = {1400-6}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether carbonic anhydrase inhibitors reduce the macular thickness and/or cystic spaces in patients with macular telangiectasia (MacTel) Type 2.

METHODS: Retrospective review of patients with nonproliferative cystoid changes associated with MacTel seen at the University of Iowa between 2009 and 2012. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors were used in 8 patients with MacTel Type 2. Five patients with MacTel Type 2 were observed during this period. Initial and final visual acuities were documented. The presence of cystic spaces and the retinal thickness were measured with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

RESULTS: Patients treated with oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors showed significant reduction in both the cystoid cavities and central macular thickness when compared with the patients who were observed (-12.2 μm; P = 0.020). The reduction in retinal thickness was more pronounced in patients receiving acetazolamide (-20.13 μm; P = 0.007) compared with methazolamide (-6.25 μm; P = 0.177). There was no significant change in visual acuity in patients receiving carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Five patients with MacTel Type 2 did not receive treatment and demonstrated no change in visual acuity, cystoid cavities, or central macular thickness.

CONCLUSION: Oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, particularly acetazolamide, may decrease macular cystic cavities and reduce central macular thickness but does not appear to improve visual acuity. These findings have yet to be confirmed with a prospective treatment trial.

}, keywords = {Acetazolamide, Administration, Oral, Adult, Aged, Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors, Female, Fluorescein Angiography, Humans, Male, Methazolamide, Middle Aged, Organ Size, Retina, Retinal Telangiectasis, Retrospective Studies, Tomography, Optical Coherence, Visual Acuity}, issn = {1539-2864}, doi = {10.1097/IAE.0000000000000093}, author = {Chen, John J and Sohn, Elliott H and Folk, James C and Mahajan, Vinit B and Kay, Christine N and Boldt, H Culver and Russell, Stephen R} } @article {745, title = {Aflibercept therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration resistant to bevacizumab and ranibizumab.}, journal = {Am J Ophthalmol}, volume = {156}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Jul}, pages = {15-22.e1}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of intravitreal injection of aflibercept in cases with exudative age-related macular degeneration, (AMD) resistant to injections of bevacizumab or ranibizumab.

DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review at a single institution was conducted to identify patients with exudative AMD and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in 1 or both eyes resistant to treatment with ranibizumab or bevacizumab who were switched to treatment with at least 3~monthly injections of aflibercept. In total, 36 eyes from 31 patients were included. The demographic data, visual acuities, central macular thickness on optical coherence tomography (OCT), complications, and number of injections were reviewed.

RESULTS: The mean patient age was 79 years (range 60-88). There were 13 male and 18 female patients. The number of prior injections with either bevacizumab or ranibizumab ranged from 6-74. After 3~monthly injections of aflibercept, there was a reduction of either subretinal or intraretinal fluid in 18 of 36 (50.0\%) of the treated eyes; the amount of fluid remained stable in 15 eyes (41.7\%) and worsened in 3 eyes (8.3\%). A significant average decrease was observed for the central macular thickness after 3 injections of 65~μm (P~= 2.9~{\texttimes} 10(-6)), with no significant change in visual acuity.

CONCLUSIONS: Aflibercept therapy appears to be beneficial in a subset of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration who exhibit recurrent or resistant intraretinal or subretinal fluid following multiple injections with either bevacizumab or ranibizumab.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Angiogenesis Inhibitors, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Bevacizumab, Drug Resistance, Drug Substitution, Exudates and Transudates, Female, Humans, Intravitreal Injections, Male, Middle Aged, Postoperative Complications, Ranibizumab, Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Recombinant Fusion Proteins, Retina, Retreatment, Retrospective Studies, Subretinal Fluid, Tomography, Optical Coherence, Treatment Outcome, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A, Visual Acuity, Wet Macular Degeneration}, issn = {1879-1891}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajo.2013.02.017}, author = {Bakall, Benjamin and Folk, James C and Boldt, H Culver and Sohn, Elliott H and Stone, Edwin M and Russell, Stephen R and Mahajan, Vinit B} } @article {141, title = {Evisceration of mouse vitreous and retina for proteomic analyses.}, journal = {Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE}, year = {2011}, month = {2011}, abstract = {

While the mouse retina has emerged as an important genetic model for inherited retinal disease, the mouse vitreous remains to be explored. The vitreous is a highly aqueous extracellular matrix overlying the retina where intraocular as well as extraocular proteins accumulate during disease.(1-3) Abnormal interactions between vitreous and retina underlie several diseases such as retinal detachment, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.(1,4) The relative mouse vitreous volume is significantly smaller than the human vitreous (Figure 1), since the mouse lens occupies nearly 75\% of its eye.(5) This has made biochemical studies of mouse vitreous challenging. In this video article, we present a technique to dissect and isolate the mouse vitreous from the retina, which will allow use of transgenic mouse models to more clearly define the role of this extracellular matrix in the development of vitreoretinal diseases.

}, keywords = {Animals, Eye Evisceration, Eye Proteins, Mice, Models, Animal, Proteomics, Retina, Vitreous Body}, author = {Skeie, Jessica M and Tsang, Stephen H and Mahajan, Vinit B} } @article {151, title = {Seroreactivity against aqueous-soluble and detergent-soluble retinal proteins in posterior uveitis.}, journal = {Archives of ophthalmology}, volume = {129}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Apr}, pages = {415-20}, abstract = {

To characterize the seroreactivity against retinal proteins in patients with posterior uveitis, retinal disease of noninflammatory origin, and healthy controls.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Autoantibodies, Autoantigens, Blotting, Western, Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel, Eye Proteins, Female, Humans, Immunoglobulin A, Immunoglobulin G, Immunoglobulin M, Male, Middle Aged, Retina, Retinal Degeneration, Solubility, Uveitis, Posterior, Young Adult}, author = {Ko, Audrey C and Brinton, Jason P and Mahajan, Vinit B and Zimmerman, Bridget and Brinton, Gregory S and Stone, Edwin M and Folk, James C and Mullins, Robert F} } @article {165, title = {T-cell infiltration in autosomal dominant neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy.}, journal = {Molecular vision}, volume = {16}, year = {2010}, month = {2010}, pages = {1034-40}, abstract = {

Autosomal dominant neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy (ADNIV) is a familial blinding disease of unknown pathophysiology. The eyes and sera from patients with ADNIV were studied to understand the immune response in this condition.

}, keywords = {Aged, 80 and over, Antigens, CD4, Antigens, CD8, Autoantibodies, B-Lymphocytes, Eye Diseases, Female, Genes, Dominant, Humans, Immunoglobulin G, Immunologic Techniques, Neovascularization, Pathologic, Retina, Retinal Diseases, Staining and Labeling, T-Lymphocytes, Vitreous Body}, author = {Mahajan, Vinit B and Vallone, John G and Lin, Jonathan H and Mullins, Robert F and Ko, Audrey C and Folk, James C and Stone, Edwin M} }