Intravitreal Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Transiently Improves Cone-Mediated Function in aCNGB3−/−Mouse Model of Achromatopsia

The trophic effect of ciliary neurotrophic factor on injured masseter muscle in rat

Objective(s): Occlusal trauma is one of the most common forms of oral biting dysfunction. Long-term occlusal trauma could weaken the stomatognathic system; especially damage one’s masticatory muscle. Through using the rat model, this study investigated the trophic effect of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) on injured masseter muscle. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats (n=36) were random...

Longitudinal study of cone photoreceptors during retinal degeneration and in response to ciliary neurotrophic factor treatment.

PURPOSE To study cone photoreceptor structure and function in patients with inherited retinal degenerations treated with sustained-release ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF). METHODS Two patients with retinitis pigmentosa and one with Usher syndrome type 2 who participated in a phase 2 clinical trial received CNTF delivered by an encapsulated cell technology implant in one eye and sham surger...

AAV-Mediated Cone Rescue in a Naturally Occurring Mouse Model of CNGA3-Achromatopsia

Achromatopsia is a rare autosomal recessive disorder which shows color blindness, severely impaired visual acuity, and extreme sensitivity to bright light. Mutations in the alpha subunits of the cone cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGA3) are responsible for about 1/4 of achromatopsia in the U.S. and Europe. Here, we test whether gene replacement therapy using an AAV5 vector could restore con...

Gene therapy rescues cone function in congenital achromatopsia.

The successful restoration of visual function with recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated gene replacement therapy in animals and humans with an inherited disease of the retinal pigment epithelium has ushered in a new era of retinal therapeutics. For many retinal disorders, however, targeting of therapeutic vectors to mutant rods and/or cones will be required. In this study, the pri...

Cellular and Molecular Studies of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Receptor Alpha Expression and Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Mediated Neuroprotection in the Canine Retina