The eye has special properties as an easily accessible, highly compartmentalized, and immunologically privileged organ. According to the World Health Organization, more than 2 billion people worldwide are visually impaired. Refractive errors and age-related eye diseases are the most common causes of visual impairment. It is estimated that between 2020 and 2030, the number of patients with glaucoma worldwide will increase by 1.3 times (from 76 million to 95.4 million) and the number of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) will increase by 1.2 times (from 195.6 million to 243.3 million). Additionally, the number of people suffering from conditions such as cataracts, dry eye, and eye irritation is expected to increase due to the aging population, lifestyle changes, and exposure to environmental factors such as air pollution, low humidity, and wind.
Ocular diseases seriously affect the quality of life of human beings all over the world. Despite rapid advances in ophthalmic research, the high complexity of the eye structure makes ocular diseases remain a major challenge. The development of novel drugs and drug delivery mechanisms as well as advanced ophthalmic technologies requires a deep understanding of the pathophysiology of ocular diseases. As we learn more about cellular mechanisms associated with ocular diseases, new drug targets may emerge. There may be novel treatments for human eye diseases shortly in the near future.
Common Ocular Disorders and Diseases Introduction
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases characterized by damage to the optic nerve, leading to progressive vision loss. It is usually associated with normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rising.
Dry eye disease, also known as dry eye syndrome or keratoconjunctivitis sicca, is an autoimmune eye disease caused by various factors, such as decreased eye film stability, increased tear osmotic pressure, and ocular surface inflammation.
Macular degeneration, commonly known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is an eye disease associated with aging that causes sharp and impaired central vision. AMD comes in two forms: wet and dry.
A cataract is an eye disease characterized by clouding of the lens, including congenital cataracts and age-related cataracts. It commonly occurs with age but can also be present from birth or develop due to other factors.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR), an eye disease caused by diabetes that can lead to vision loss and blindness in diabetics, affects blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. DR pathology culminates in diabetes-related macular edema (DME) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).
Uveitis is a group of various inflammatory diseases involving one or more tissues in the eye, which can lead to vision loss or blindness in severe cases. Uveitis is classified as anterior, middle, posterior, or panuveitis depending on the portion of the uvea involved.
Retinal detachment, a serious eye condition, that occurs when the retina, a thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye, separates from its normal position. age, nearsightedness, eye trauma, family history, and previous eye surgery are the causes of retinal detachment possible factors.
Refractive errors are the most frequent eye problems. Refractive errors include myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (distorted vision at all distances), and presbyopia.
Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is an inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva (the thin, clear tissue covering the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids). It causes redness, itching, discharge, and in some cases, vision blurriness.
As an industry-leading comprehensive contract research organization (CRO), Ace Therapeutics focuses on the health of ocular diseases and improves ocular diseases by helping customers provide drug discovery and preclinical research solutions. Our support staff averages decades of experience in preclinical ophthalmology research for pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, and large CROs, who help customers around the world deal with each stage of preclinical drug development. Our one-stop solutions cover the development of ocular disease models, in vivo ocular pharmacodynamic studies, ocular tolerance and safety studies, early pilot studies, and proof-of-concept and bioanalytical levels. All of our projects are customizable and flexible, which allows us to fully understand our clients' needs and how to meet them.
Our laboratories are equipped with a full range of state-of-the-art ophthalmic testing instruments to support a full range of validation services. Our core capabilities include fluorescein angiography, electroretinogram (ERG), slit lamp exam (SLE), optical coherence tomography (OCT), funduscopy, histopathology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometry (FC) and full-field electroretinography (ffERG).
Our therapeutic expertise spans all areas of ocular disease as well as a growing pipeline of innovative therapies such as novel drug delivery systems, cell therapy, gene therapy, and growing R&D innovations in ophthalmic diseases. Our biopharmaceutical and biotech clients trust us to advance their trials.
Ace Therapeutics is a research service provider specializing in ophthalmology. We are dedicated to providing exceptional research services that support drug development programs for clients worldwide.
