Publications by authors named "Kevin Y Wu"

Ocular complications associated with dental procedures are diverse but have been primarily reported through case reports and series, with no comprehensive reviews to date. The underlying mechanisms of these complications are often poorly understood by medical professionals, partly due to limited interdisciplinary education. This review aims to bridge this gap by summarizing the relevant anatomical connections between the oral and ocular regions, exploring the mechanisms through which dental procedures may lead to ophthalmic complications, and detailing their clinical presentations, progression, and potential management and preventive strategies.

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: In recent years, the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence models, such as ChatGPT (version of 29 April 2024), have prompted interest from numerous domains of medicine, such as ophthalmology. As such, research is necessary to further assess its potential while simultaneously evaluating its shortcomings. Our study thus evaluates ChatGPT-4's performance on the American Academy of Ophthalmology's (AAO) Basic and Clinical Science Course (BCSC) Self-Assessment Program, focusing on its image recognition capabilities and its enhancement with domain-specific pretraining.

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Wearable biosensors are revolutionizing the landscape of modern healthcare by enabling continuous, non-invasive monitoring and real-time diagnostics across a myriad of medical applications. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of wearable biosensors, beginning with an exploration of their fundamental components, including biological elements, transducers, and electronic interfaces. It categorizes these devices based on the types of biological matrices they utilize, such as tears and saliva, and the nanomaterials and transduction mechanisms that underpin their functionality.

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Exosomes, a subset of extracellular vesicles, have emerged as potential therapeutic agents in ophthalmology due to their ability to modulate immune responses, facilitate cellular communication, and promote tissue repair. This chapter explores the potential applications of exosome-based therapies in corneal and anterior segment disorders, retinal diseases, glaucoma, and Sjögren's syndrome. In corneal disorders, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived secretomes have shown promise in accelerating wound healing, reducing fibrosis, and modulating inflammation, with hydrogel encapsulation strategies potentially enhancing their efficacy.

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Topic: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH)-like uveitis is uniquely reported with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and BRAF/MEK inhibitors. This article aims to provide a comprehensive portrait of the comorbidities, ocular presentations, treatments, and visual outcomes of patients with VKH-like uveitis following ICI therapy.

Clinical Relevance: ICIs are increasingly used in cancer therapy, but poorly understood ocular immune-related adverse events (irAEs) can lead to suspension of treatment and be vision-threatening.

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Advances in regenerative medicine, cell therapy, and 3D bioprinting are reshaping the landscape of ocular surgery, offering innovative approaches to address complex conditions affecting the cornea, ocular adnexal structures, and the orbit. These technologies hold the potential to enhance treatment precision, improve functional outcomes, and address limitations in traditional surgical and therapeutic interventions.The cornea, as the eye's primary refractive and protective barrier, is particularly well-suited for regenerative approaches due to its avascular and immune-privileged nature.

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Regenerative medicine, cell therapy, and 3D bioprinting represent promising advancements in addressing retinal and glaucomatous diseases. These conditions, including diabetic retinopathy (DR), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), and glaucomatous optic neuropathy, have complex pathophysiologies that involve neurodegeneration, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunction. Despite significant progress in conventional therapies, including anti-VEGF injections, laser photocoagulation, and intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering interventions, these approaches remain limited in reversing disease progression and restoring lost visual function.

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Intraocular lenses (IOLs) play a pivotal role in restoring vision following cataract surgery. The evolution of polymeric biomaterials has been central to addressing challenges such as biocompatibility, optical clarity, mechanical stability, and resistance to opacification. This review explores essential requirements for IOL biomaterials, emphasizing their ability to mitigate complications like posterior capsule opacification (PCO) and dysphotopsias while maintaining long-term durability and visual quality.

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Three-dimensional bioprinting (3DP) is transforming the field of regenerative medicine by enabling the precise fabrication of complex tissues, including the retina, a highly specialized and anatomically complex tissue. This review provides an overview of 3DP's principles, its multi-step process, and various bioprinting techniques, such as extrusion-, droplet-, and laser-based methods. Within the scope of biomimicry and biomimetics, emphasis is placed on how 3DP potentially enables the recreation of the retina's natural cellular environment, structural complexity, and biomechanical properties.

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The lacrimal gland (LG) is vital for ocular health, producing tears that lubricate and protect the eye. Dysfunction of the LG leads to aqueous-deficient dry eye disease (DED), significantly impacting quality of life. Current treatments mainly address symptoms rather than the underlying LG dysfunction, highlighting the need for regenerative therapies.

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Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment, offering significant improvements in patient survival across various malignancies. However, their use is associated with a broad spectrum of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including those affecting the eye and its surrounding structures, collectively termed ocular irAEs (OirAEs). Although rare, OirAEs (e.

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Background/objectives: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a severe condition primarily affecting premature infants with a gestational age (GA) of 30 weeks or less and a birth weight (BW) of 1500 g or less. The objective of this review is to examine the risk factors, pathogenesis, and current treatments for ROP, such as cryotherapy, laser photocoagulation, and anti-VEGF therapy, while exploring the limitations of these approaches. Additionally, this review evaluates emerging nanotherapeutic strategies to address these challenges, aiming to improve ROP management.

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Corneal endothelial dysfunction is a leading cause of vision loss globally, frequently requiring corneal transplantation. However, the limited availability of donor tissues, particularly in developing countries, has spurred on the exploration of tissue engineering strategies, with a focus on polymer biomaterials as scaffolds for corneal endotlhelium regeneration. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the advancements in polymer biomaterials, focusing on their role in supporting the growth, differentiation, and functional maintenance of human corneal endothelial cells (CECs).

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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are leading causes of vision loss, with AMD affecting older populations and RP being a rarer, genetically inherited condition. Both diseases result in progressive retinal degeneration, for which current treatments remain inadequate in advanced stages. This review aims to provide an overview of the retina's anatomy and physiology, elucidate the pathophysiology of AMD and RP, and evaluate emerging cell-based therapies for these conditions.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The review discusses the unique challenges of corneal diseases, the current dependence on donor corneas, and how hydrogel-based solutions could bridge the gap due to the global shortage of donor corneas.
  • * Additionally, it explores various synthesis methods for hydrogels, including the incorporation of bioactive molecules and their potential for drug delivery, while highlighting the need for further research and regulatory considerations to enhance their clinical applications.
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This comprehensive review investigates the pivotal role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cataract formation and evaluates the potential of antioxidant therapies in mitigating this ocular condition. By elucidating the mechanisms of oxidative stress, the article examines how ROS contribute to the deterioration of lens proteins and lipids, leading to the characteristic aggregation, cross-linking, and light scattering observed in cataracts. The review provides a thorough assessment of various antioxidant strategies aimed at preventing and managing cataracts, such as dietary antioxidants (i.

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Despite significant advancements in ocular drug delivery, challenges persist in treating posterior segment diseases like macular edema (ME) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Suprachoroidal (SC) injections are a promising new method for targeted drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye, providing direct access to the choroid and retina while minimizing systemic exposure and side effects. This review examines the anatomical and physiological foundations of the SC space; evaluates delivery devices such as microcatheters, hypodermic needles, and microneedles; and discusses pharmacokinetic principles.

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Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common intraocular malignancy in adults. Recent advances highlight the role of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (TEV) and circulating hybrid cells (CHC) in UM tumorigenesis. Bridged with liquid biopsies, a novel technology that has shown incredible performance in detecting cancer cells or products derived from tumors in bodily fluids, it can significantly impact disease management and outcome.

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Objective: To evaluate and improve the quality of periocular biopsy follow-up by determining the absolute compliance rate, examining delays between stages, identifying obstacles to high-quality follow-up, and offering recommendations for improvement.

Methods: Phase 1: A retrospective, observational, and descriptive study was conducted using chart reviews of adult patients who underwent periocular biopsies at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS) from January 2019 to October 2022. Phase 2: Three simultaneous Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were implemented, focusing on enhancing communication channels between clinicians and pathologists, introducing a priority system for urgent cases, and establishing an automatic reminder system for pathologists.

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Smart contact lenses represent a breakthrough in the intersection of medical science and innovative technology, offering transformative potential in ophthalmology. This review article delves into the technological underpinnings of smart contact lenses, emphasizing the current landscape and advancements in biosensors, power supply, biomaterials, and the transmission of ocular information. This review further applies new innovations to their emerging role in the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of various ocular conditions.

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Article Synopsis
  • The article reviews the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), highlighting how oxidative stress affects the retina, particularly the retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch's membrane.
  • It discusses the dual functions of ROS in eye health, where they can be crucial for signaling but also harmful when they accumulate excessively.
  • The review evaluates various antioxidant strategies for AMD prevention, including dietary supplements and innovative treatments like gene therapy and nanotechnology, while calling for ongoing research to tailor these interventions to individual patients.
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The interface between material science and ophthalmic medicine is witnessing significant advances with the introduction of biopolymers in medical device fabrication. This review discusses the impact of biopolymers on the development of ophthalmic devices, such as intraocular lenses, stents, and various prosthetics. Biopolymers are emerging as superior alternatives due to their biocompatibility, mechanical robustness, and biodegradability, presenting an advance over traditional materials with respect to patient comfort and environmental considerations.

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The eye's complex anatomical structures present formidable barriers to effective drug delivery across a range of ocular diseases, from anterior to posterior segment pathologies. Emerging as a promising solution to these challenges, nanotechnology-based platforms-including but not limited to liposomes, dendrimers, and micelles-have shown the potential to revolutionize ophthalmic therapeutics. These nanocarriers enhance drug bioavailability, increase residence time in targeted ocular tissues, and offer precise, localized delivery, minimizing systemic side effects.

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In the forefront of ophthalmic innovation, biomimetic 3D printing and bioprinting technologies are redefining patient-specific therapeutic strategies. This critical review systematically evaluates their application spectrum, spanning oculoplastic reconstruction, retinal tissue engineering, corneal transplantation, and targeted glaucoma treatments. It highlights the intricacies of these technologies, including the fundamental principles, advanced materials, and bioinks that facilitate the replication of ocular tissue architecture.

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This comprehensive review delves into a unique intersection of hydrogels as smart molecules and their transformative applications in ophthalmology. Beginning with the foundational definition, properties, and classification of hydrogels, the review explores their synthesis and responsive capabilities. Specific applications examined encompass topical drug delivery, contact lenses, intravitreal drug delivery, ocular adhesives, vitreous substitutes, and cell-based therapy.

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