Myopia Hyperopia Nonhuman Primates Disease Model

Myopia and hyperopia are common refractive errors that affect millions of people worldwide. Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, occurs when light rays focus in front of the retina instead of on the retina, and therefore causes blurry distance vision. Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness, occurs when light entering the eye does not come to a clear focus on the retina. This causes vision to be blurry at both distance and near if the hyperopia is a fairly high amount.

Both myopia and hyperopia can have genetic and environmental factors that contribute to their development and progression. However, the exact mechanisms underlying these conditions are not fully understood. Moreover, some forms of myopia and hyperopia can lead to serious complications such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataract.

Therefore, there is a need for reliable and relevant animal models that can help researchers understand the pathophysiology of these refractive errors and test potential treatments. One such animal model is the nonhuman primate (NHP), which has many advantages over other species.

NHPs have a similar ocular anatomy and physiology to humans, especially in terms of their cone-rich macula that is responsible for high-acuity central vision. NHPs also share genetic susceptibility to some forms of inherited retinal diseases with humans. Furthermore, NHPs can be induced to develop myopia or hyperopia by various methods such as lens wear or visual deprivation.

One example of an NHP model for myopia is provided by Prisys Biotechnologies, a Shanghai-based integrated NHP CRO and research platform. Prisys Biotechnologies offers lens-induced myopia/pathological myopia models using cynomolgus monkeys or rhesus monkeys. These models mimic human-similar manifestations of myopia such as axial elongation, scleral thinning and choroidal neovascularization.

The standard study duration for these models is 4-12 weeks, depending on the degree of myopia induced. The clinical endpoints include spherical equivalent (SE), funduscope examination, fundus color photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and other ophthalmic examinations. These endpoints are human translatable and can provide valuable insights into the efficacy or pharmacology of novel drugs or devices for myopia treatment or prevention.

In summary, NHPs are valuable disease models for studying myopia and hyperopia because they offer high similarity to humans in terms of ocular structure, function and genetics. Prisys Biotechnologies provides high-quality NHP models for refractive errors with standardized protocols and endpoints that can facilitate preclinical research and development.

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