The progress in understanding and treatment of diabetic retinopathy

In most countries, diabetic retinopathy is the most frequently occurring complication of diabetes mellitus and remains a leading cause of vision loss globally. Its etiology and pathology have been extensively studied for half a century, yet there are disappointingly few therapeutic options. Although some new treatments have been introduced for diabetic macular edema (DME) (e.g. intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors ('anti-VEGFs') and new steroids), up to 50% of patients fail to respond. Furthermore, for people with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), laser photocoagulation remains a mainstay therapy, even though it is inherently a destructive procedure. This review summarizes the clinical features of diabetic retinopathy and its risk factors. It describes details of retinal pathology and the cell culture approaches and animal models that are used to mimic its key components, advance understanding of its pathogenesis, and enable identification of new therapeutic targets. We emphasise that although there have been significant advances, there is still a pressing need for a better understanding basic mechanisms to enable development of reliable and robust means to identify patients at highest risk, and to intervene effectively before vision loss occurs.

Intravitreal AAV2.COMP-Ang1 prevents neurovascular degeneration in a murine model of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness in the working-age population in the United States. The vision-threatening processes of neuroglial and vascular dysfunction in DR occur in concert, driven by hyperglycemia and propelled by a pathway of inflammation, ischemia, vasodegeneration, and breakdown of the blood retinal barrier. Currently, no therapies exist for normalizing the vasculature in DR. Here we show that a single intravitreal dose of adeno-associated virus serotype 2 encoding a more stable, soluble, and potent form of angiopoietin 1 (AAV2.COMP-Ang1) can ameliorate the structural and functional hallmarks of DR in Ins2Akita mice, with sustained effects observed through six months. In early DR, AAV2.COMP-Ang1 restored leukocyte-endothelial interaction, retinal oxygenation, vascular density, vascular marker expression, vessel permeability, retinal thickness, inner retinal cellularity, and retinal neurophysiological response to levels comparable to non-diabetic controls. In late DR, AAV2.COMP-Ang1 enhanced the therapeutic benefit of intravitreally-delivered endothelial colony-forming cells by promoting their integration into the vasculature and thereby stemming further visual decline. AAV2.COMP-Ang1 single-dose gene therapy can prevent neurovascular pathology, support vascular regeneration, and stabilize vision in DR.

Begrifflichkeiten in der Wettbewerberforschung : ein Ordnungsversuch

Der vorliegende Artikel bezieht sich auf die unterschiedlichen Begrifflichkeiten, die im Umfeld der Wettbewerberforschung in der Literatur Verwendung finden. Neben den Begriffen des angloamerikanischen Sprachraums (Competitive Intelligence, Competitor Intelligence und Competitor Analyse) existieren für den deutschsprachigen Raum (Wettbewerber-, Konkurrenten-, Wettbewerbs- und Konkurrenzanalyse) ebenfalls verschiedenartige Begriffe, denen in der Literatur eine häufig unterschiedliche Verwendung zu Teil wird. Dieser Artikel baut einen Ordnungsansatz auf, der die angesprochenen Begrifflichkeiten in eine Struktur bringt, um somit eine klare inhaltliche Trennung der einzelnen Begriffe sowie eine in Relation bringende Darstellung aufbauen zu können. Dies ermöglicht eine ambiguitätsfreie Verwendung innerhalb der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit durch definitorisch fixierte Begriffsinhalte.

Sentimento e reflexão : crítica da identidade nos «Fichte-studien» de Novalis

Tese de doutoramento, Estudos de Literatura e de Cultura (Estudos de Literatura e de Cultura de Expressão Alemão), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras, 2016

Pensamientos de un protestante sobre la invitación dirigida por Pio IX a los cristianos desidentes para reconciliarse con la Iglesia Católica-Romana

UANL