Amy Lo

By Amy C. Y. Lo and Ian Y. Wong

Part of the book: Age Related Macular Degeneration

By Larissa H.C. Tang, Ian Y.H. Wong and Amy C.Y. Lo

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of preventable vision impairment and blindness in the working-age population worldwide. Numerous animal models have been developed for therapeutic drug screening and to further increase our understanding of the molecular and cellular pathological processes involved in DR. Following our discussion of mouse models in “Animal Models of Diabetic Retinopathy Part 1,” we describe the cellular, molecular, and morphological features of both rodent and nonrodent models of DR and their respective advantages and limitations in this chapter. To date, no animal model can holistically reproduce the pathological progression of human DR; most only display early or advanced lesions of DR. However, a thorough understanding of genotypic and phenotypic expressions of existing models will facilitate researchers’ selection of the appropriate model to simulate their desired clinical scenarios.

Part of the book: Experimental Animal Models of Human Diseases

By Larissa H.C. Tang, Ian Y.H. Wong and Amy C.Y. Lo

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of preventable vision impairment and blindness in the working-age population worldwide. Numerous animal models have been developed for therapeutic drug screening and to further our understanding of the molecular and cellular pathological processes involved in DR. In this book chapter, we describe the cellular, molecular and morphological features of mouse models of DR as well as their respective advantages and limitations. To date, no animal model can holistically reproduce the pathological progression of human DR; most only display early or advanced lesions of DR. However, a thorough understanding of genotypic and phenotypic expressions of existing models will facilitate researchers’ selection of the appropriate model to simulate their desired clinical scenarios.

Part of the book: Experimental Animal Models of Human Diseases

By Shen Nian and Amy C.Y. Lo

Lutein is a carotenoid highly concentrated in the macula of the retina. Lutein cannot be synthesized and must be supplied in the diet, for example, dark green leafy vegetable and egg yolk. Lutein is believed to absorb blue light, leading to the protection of retina from light-related damage. It can also protect the retina against oxidative stress and inflammation. In fact, dietary and supplementary lutein have been shown to be associated with possible reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of elderly blindness, attributed largely to lutein’s antioxidant properties. Lutein is also beneficial as a nutritional supplement in preventing diabetic retinopathy. Moreover, lutein is very safe and widely used. In this chapter, we will discuss the basic chemistry of lutein; its uptake, transport, distribution, and functions in the normal eye. Lastly, the effects of lutein in age-related eye diseases will be summarized.

Part of the book: Progress in Carotenoid Research

By Shen Nian and Amy C.Y. Lo

Aging retina, notably the aging macula, is prone to develop degenerative diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of visual loss in individuals aged 65 or above in developed countries. However, current treatments are very limited. Since degeneration, dysfunction, and death of retinal neurons are demonstrated in the pathogenesis of AMD, neuroprotective strategies could serve as a possible way to treat AMD. In this chapter, we will briefly introduce risk factors, pathophysiology, affected neurons, classification, clinical manifestation, and current treatments of AMD. Finally, neuroprotection in both AMD animal models and patients will be discussed.

Part of the book: Neuroprotection