EyeWorld Asia-Pacific March 2011 Issue

36 March 2011 EW NEWS & OPINION Orbital Division of the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Md., USA), Brian G. Mohney, MD (Professor of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., USA), James T. Rosenbaum, MD (Professor of Ophthalmology, Medicine, and Cell Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Ore., USA), Mark S. Blumenkranz, MD (Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif., USA), and Dr. Tan all acknowledged the valuable role that non-clinicians such as geneticists, molecular biologists, pharmacologists, and even engineers have played in the development of modern ophthalmic medicine, and the role that they will no doubt continue to play in the foreseeable future. Dr. Miller, for instance, talked about the role of nanoparticles and induced pluripotent stem cells in future treatments for neuro- ophthalmological conditions; he paid particular homage to the late William H. Dobelle, a biomedical researcher who, among other achievements, led the development of cortical implants that restored limited vision to patients who were completely blind. According to the lecturers, gene therapy, bioengineered antibodies, new materials, implantable surgical appliances and specialized instruments and other similar advances requiring the involvement of broadly multidisciplinary teams will undoubtedly play roles in future treatments for a wide variety of ophthalmic conditions, including glaucoma, diseases affecting ocular motility, orbital disease, uveitis, retinal disease, and keratoectasia and other corneal diseases. Meanwhile, epidemiological studies have played an important role in developing management strategies for diabetic retinopathy (DR), said Wong Tien Yin, MD (Professor and Director, SERI) in his plenary lecture on “Diabetic retinopathy—Major advances and future challenges”. Dr. Wong identified five key points learned from large-scale epidemiological studies on DR: (1) the prevalence of DR is fairly consistent, with 30 to 50% of diabetic patients having DR, and 5 to 10% with vision-threatening DR; (2) the duration of diabetes is a major risk factor, particularly for type 1 diabetes mellitus; (3) glucose control is important but is more effective in patients who don’t already have DR; (4) blood pressure control is as important as glucose control; (5) glucose control exhibits a “metabolic memory” effect, lasting up to 10 years after the end of trial—blood pressure exhibits no such effect. In addition, blocking the renin-angiotensin system may be better than simple blood pressure control. Switching gears for the Singapore Eye Foundation Lecture, Chee Soon Phaik, MD, Head and Senior Consultant, Cataract Surgery Service, SNEC, focused almost exclusively on surgical techniques for operating on cataract cases with added complexities, specifically dense cataracts, small pupils, posterior polar cataracts, subluxated cataracts, and cases requiring iris repair and/or replacement. Even so, in listing the challenges that face cataract surgeons today, Dr. Chee indirectly acknowledged the value of research. These challenges include questions regarding the provision of intraocular lens (IOL) support in the absence of zonules, the ideal lens for presbyopia correction, the performance of precision biometry—particularly with premium IOL implantation—and the prevention posterior capsular opacification (PCO). Regarding the future of cataract surgery, Dr. Chee believes the femtosecond laser may address Pacific region—are predominantly environmental rather than genetic, despite the apparent predilection for Chinese people. In addition, Asia-ARVO devoted two symposiums to ocular epidemiology. In one of them, Jie Jin Wang, MD (Australia), talked about the particular challenge of conducting epidemiological research in the era of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Basically, the challenge is an added level of complexity; far from simplifying matters, our current knowledge of the human genome further complicates epidemiological study, as intraspecies genetic variations need to be matched not only to pathway and phenotype, but also to environmental interaction. As Dr. Wang pointed out, in complex disease, it is possible for multiple genes and non-gene factors to interact in a way that taking different pathways creates the same phenotype, while the same pathway creates different phenotypes. As with all things, it seems that things only get more complex the more we know. If the current meeting is any indication, Asia- ARVO, with its dedication to keeping pace with the rapid progress of ophthalmic medical knowledge, is only going to get more bewildering in the coming years. In addition to the 40 symposiums, Asia-ARVO conducted six workshops and featured six plenary lectures delivered by Robin Ali, MD (UK), Wong Tien Yin, MD (Singapore), Claude Burgoyne, MD (USA), Jean- Marie Parel, MD (USA), Shigeru Kinoshita, MD (Japan), and Paul Mitchell, MD (Australia). Asia-ARVO 2011 was co- chaired by Aung Tin, MD, Deputy Director, SERI, and Roger Beuerman, MD, Scientific Director, SERI. The meeting was held back to back with the SNEC 21st Anniversary International Meeting. EW many aspects of these challenges, particularly by allowing better precision in the placement of incisions and the creation of the capsulorhexis. Universal The celebration of any coming of age would not be complete without a proper party; SNEC threw its celebratory 21st together with the Asia-ARVO 2011 congress dinner at New York Street, Universal Studios Singapore. Guests were treated to a generous street-side buffet that included everything from noodles and curry to hot dogs and pizza, which they enjoyed while hobnobbing with cinematic icons Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. Later that night, the guests were rocked by Singaporean break dance and hip-hop group Rockafellas. Guests were also invited to experience a special effects show in which an empty soundstage was transformed into the New York Harbor, as it is hit by a category 5 hurricane. Before celebrations commenced, SERI announced the 12 recipients of the Young Investigator Awards, given to original basic science and clinical ophthalmology research led by principal investigators under 35 years of age. The panel of judges for the Young Investigor Awards included Michael Belkin, MD, Wallace Foulds, MD, Paul Kaufman, MD, Robert Nussenblatt, MD, Louis Tong, MD, and Li Fong Seet, MD. The SNEC 21st Anniversary International Meeting and the Asia- ARVO 2011 Meeting on Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, held at a newly built resort and convention center in Singapore, coincided with the start of the Singaporean government’s push to make the country’s economy one of the most research-and-development(R&D)- intensive in the world by 2015. EW SNEC continued from page 35 Asia-ARVO continued from page 34