Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is one of the most devastating complications following bone marrow transplantation. GVHD develops in 10–80% of patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The eye is one of the most vulnerable organs of the human body. Ocular GVHD occurs in 40–60% of patients with GVHD undergoing HSCT, and it mostly affects the lacrimal glands, meibomian glands, cornea, and conjunctiva. The most common form of ocular GVHD is dry eye disease (DED). The long-term treatment of cGVHD-related dry eye syndrome remains challenging and involves a multidisciplinary approach. Besides systemic immunosuppression and ocular lubricants, topical steroids, topical cyclosporine, and topical tacrolimus are commonly prescribed. Newer therapeutic interventions for moderate and severe cGVHD-related DED include using serum eye drops and scleral contact lenses. Emerging treatment options include subconjunctival injection of heavy chain-hyaluronan (HC-HA)/ pentraxin 3 (PTX3), intravenous injection of mesenchymal stromal cells, antifibrotic drugs, etc. This article reviews the mechanisms, clinical findings, and treatment of cGVHD-related dry eye syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between metformin therapy and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: The clinical data of 1 891 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending the ophthalmology department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital from September 2015 to August 2020 were reviewed. A retrospective study was performed on 324 cases of these T2DM patients with disease duration ≥10 years. Medical records of all patients including general information, history of medical disease, diabetes treatment, ophthalmologic examination and blood biochemical indices were collected. According to whether metformin treatment was received or not, the patients were divided into a metformin-treated and a non-metformin-treated groups. DR is classified into non-obvious DR, non-proliferative DR and proliferative DR according to the fundus examination and the clinical diagnostic criteria of DR. Logistic multiple regression analysis was used to determine the effects of age, sex, age of DM onset, duration of DM, duration of hypertension,

duration of hyperlipidemia, years of smoking, body mass index, insulin treatment and fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid and blood creatinine levels on DR. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of developing DR between the metformin-treated and non-metformin-treated groups (P>0.05). Univariate and multifactorial analyses of variables related to the occurrence and different stages of DR in patients with T2DM showed that years of smoking, fasting glucose and creatinine were positively associated with DR (P<0.05), while age was negatively associated with DR (P<0.01), and age of DM onset was significantly negatively associated with DR (OR=0.95, 95%CI: 0.92 to 0.98, P=0.0003). In T2DM patients treated with metformin, neither the duration of metformin (OR=1.02, 95%CI: 0.96 to 1.08, P>0.05) nor the mean dose(OR=1.50, 95%CI: 0.79 to 2.84, P>0.05) was significantly associated with developing DR. The risk of developing DR was lower in women than in men (P<0.05); combined insulin therapy was significantly positively correlated with the risk of DR (OR=3.11, 95%CI: 1.59 to 6.07, P<0.01); long-term smoking, glycosylated hemoglobin and uric acid levels higher than normal were positively associated with DR (P<0.05). In metformin users, there was a significant difference in the risk of developing DR between the no-insulin treatment group and the combined insulin group (P<0.01); and among patients not using metformin, insulin therapy was positively associated with the occurrence of DR (OR=12.43, 95%CI: 3.75 to 41.19, P<0.0001). Conclusion: There was no significant association between metformin treatment and DR among patients with T2DM for >10 years.

Objective: To establish a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of tetracaine hydrochloride and ethyl hydrobenzoate in tetracaine hydrochloride eye drops. Methods: The analytic column was Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 (4.6 mm ×250 mm, 5 μm) and the mobile phase was 1% triethylamine solution (10 mL triethylamine and 990 mL water, pH adjusted to 5.0±0.5 with glacial acetic acid) - acetonitrile (65:35) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 256 nm and the column temperature was 30 ℃. The injection volume was 20 μL. Results: The linear range of tetracaine hydrochloride was well shown within 0.05–0.36 mg/mL (r=1.000). The average recovery rate of tetracaine hydrochloride was 99.2% with relative standard deviation (RSD) 0.3% (n=9). The linear range of ethyl hydrobenzoate was well shown within 3.02–24.14 μg/mL (r=1.000). The average recovery rate of tetracaine hydrochloride was 98.2% with RSD 0.4%(n=9). The method had high reproducibility. The reference solution and testing solution were stable for 24 h in room. Conclusion: The method is simple, quick and accurate, which is suitable for the determination of tetracaine hydrochloride and ethyl hydrobenzoate in tetracaine hydrochloride eye drops.

Endogenous stem cells have significant advantages in cell therapy for excellent histocompatibility, low tumorigenicity risk, unnecessity for in vitro expansion and culture, and low disease transmission risk. There have been some applications for endogenous stem cells in treating diseases, targeting some organic and functional diseases throughout the body. In ocular tissue, the lens is a breakthrough for regenerative therapy due to its potential to grow throughout life and observation accessibility. Achieving lens regeneration in adult mammals attributes to some prerequisites. Firstly, the location of endogenous stem cells in the lens has been identified. Then, surgical approaches have been advanced to preserve lens stem cells and create a microenvironment suitable for lens regeneration. Protein compositional analysis of the regenerated lens reveals that it is similar to a mature lens rather than an embryonic lens, suggesting that the regulation of lens regeneration is not the same as the induction of embryonic onset. The strategy for regulating lens regeneration needs to focus not only on the activation and proper differentiation of stem cells but also on regulating the process of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). In the future, in order to apply the experiences of lens regeneration to other ocular tissues, to mobilize endogenous cells and promote their growth, some strategies could be used. These strategies include mimicking cellular stress via the addition of cellular active ingredients, such as exosome, mitochondria, and small molecular compounds. Additionally, we can also try to restore lens tissue structure and microenvironment through surgical or biomaterial assistance.

Objective: To evaluate the application quality of picture archiving and communication system (PACS) based on WeChat in standardized resident training in orbital department. Methods: A total of 66 doctors trained in the Orbital Department of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center were divided into group A (PACS group) and Group B (WeChat +PACS group). The quality and feedback of teaching of the two groups of students were compared through examination and questionnaire. Results: The scores of basic knowledges and reading skills of group B were significantly higher than those of group A (P<0.001, P=0.037). The self-assessment scale for teaching quality showed that the students in group B were superior to group A in understanding the position of anatomical structure, imaging diagnosis and differential diagnosis according to CT or MRI, interpreting CT or MRI images in the future, and interest in CT or MRI imaging (all P<0.001). All the students (100.00%) were very satisfied with this mode of teaching. Conclusion: The application of PACS based on WeChat in standardized resident training in orbital department can significantly improve the quality and satisfaction of ophthalmology teaching.

During terminal differentiation of lens fiber cells, nuclei and other organelles experience programmed elimination.This process is essential for the maintenance of lens transparency. However, the mechanisms underlying lens organelle degradation remain unclear. Identification of the mechanisms can provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the pathogenesis of cataract and is expected to reveal new intervention targets for lens regeneration. In this review, we discuss potential mechanisms and the process of lens organelle degradation.

Objective: To observe the outcomes of bioengineered cornea for lamellar keratoplasty in the infectious keratitis.Methods: A total of 19 cases with infectious keratitis treated by bioengineered cornea in Chengdu Aidi Eye Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The results of graft survival, visual acuity and complications were collected.Rejection reaction was compared with 22 cases of human donor corneal lamellar keratoplasty during the same period. Results: In the 19 cases patients, 9 cases were women (47.37%) with the average age of 53.32 years. Among the pathogenic factors, 7 cases were bacterial keratitis (36.84%), 8 cases were fungal keratitis (42.11%) and 4 cases were viral (21.05%). The results of preoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) showed that 3 cases were light perception (accurate light positioning), 5 cases were hand moving, 4 cases were counting finger, and 7 cases were in the range of 3.0–3.9. In the follow-up, no case of primary infection recurrence occurred; 18 grafts survived except one case dissolved end with re-transplant by human donor. The postoperative UCVA of 15 cases (78.95%) were in the range of 4.0–4.5, 3 cases were in the range of 3.0–4.0 (15.79%), and 1 case of counting finger (5.26%). There was no significant difference in rejection action (P=0.736). In the follow-up more than 6–12 months, the limbal neovascularization of the biological engineering cornea is more likely to invade with the result of ring shape opacity at the graft edge. Conclusion: The biological engineering cornea can play a good role in the reconstruction for the cases with infectious keratitis. It provides another way to solve the shortage of corneal grafts.

The ability and level of postgraduate tutor is one of the key factors affecting the quality of graduate education. In view of the weak basic ophthalmic knowledge, lack of practical opportunities and the inefficiency in innovation ability among ophthalmology graduates, as well as the lack of initiative and vitality in teaching team, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University has been gradually established the dual management structure of “administration and experts”. By guiding and encouraging the teachers participate in the curriculum reform of graduates, scientific research ability training, management informatization, the teaching quality control, student administration and so on. Through improving the long-term mechanism of teachers’ participation in teaching reform governance, the quality of teachers has been improved, which promote the high-quality development of ophthalmology graduate education.

Standardized resident training (called ‘ZhuPei’ for short in Chinese) is an important measure of the New Healthcare Reform in China, aiming to promote the homogenization of clinical medicine level which tackles the constraints of unbalanced medical development so that people’s ever-growing medical demand can be supplied. With the reality of over 10 years’ ophthalmology standardized resident training experience in China, certain crucial issues are put forward, such as the selection and training of teachers, the implementation of clinical training course, the concern of teachers’ salary and promotion, the residents’ capabilities of diagnosis and treatment including humanistic care, etc. This article discusses the root causes of those issues and the solutions to them, intending to implement the standardized resident training as a basic clinic medical engineering through the New Healthcare Reform

Retinal degenerative diseases, characterized by severe retinal cell loss at the end stage, are of various kinds and haunt vast amounts of patients. Retinal organoid (RO) with complete retinal cell subtypes and classic retinal stratification structures can be obtained in large quantities through stem cells in vitro 3D differentiation and culture method. Therefore, RO can serve as one of the best ways for retinal degenerative disease modeling to facilitate the decipherment of underlying pathogenic mechanisms. At present, RO derivatives have been widely used in animal experiments and clinical studies of retinal cell replacement therapy with varying results possibly affected by cell quantity, time window, or tools in terms of transplantation. With the booming progress of RO-related research, the diagnosis and treatment on molecular and individual level for retinal degenerative diseases will be further improved.