Centre for Eye Research Australia

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Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. There is no current cure for glaucoma, and it is managed by lowering intraocular pressure, a major modifiable risk factor. Nutraceuticals have long been studied to protect retinal ganglion cells and the optic nerve from degeneration by targeting the metabolic and neurodegenerative aspects of glaucoma, and even contributing to pressure lowering. A range of vitamins, minerals and nutraceuticals have been and are undergoing investigation for glaucoma. Compounds such as NAD-boosting supplements, antioxidants, and combination therapies can potentially support retinal ganglion cell metabolism and reduce oxidative stress, leading to healthier neurons to preserve vision for longer. However, varying levels of evidence exist to support the use of nutraceuticals in glaucoma. Herein lies a comprehensive review on the latest research evidence for 35 different vitamins, minerals, and nutraceuticals, their proposed mechanism of action, and reported effects on retinal ganglion cell health and in people with glaucoma.

To compare the anatomical and functional outcomes of internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap and conventional ILM peeling in idiopathic full-thickness macular holes (FTMHs). Retrospective cohort study of all eyes treated with vitrectomy and ILM peeling (ILM-P) with or without ILM flap (ILM-F) for primary idiopathic FTMH repair in the Australian and New Zealand Society of Retinal Specialists (ANZSRS) Registry between 2006 and 2023. Propensity score weighting and multivariable regression analysis adjusted for baseline characteristics and covariates, including surgeon grade, lens status, and follow-up duration, were used to evaluate hole closure rate and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) change at 3 months. Two thousand nine hundred ninety eyes of 2905 patients were included (mean age 69 ± 9 years). One Hundred Ninety-nine eyes underwent ILM-F and 2871 underwent ILM-P. On weighted multivariable regression analysis, ILM-F showed higher odds of hole closure compared to ILM-P (OR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.08-8.20, p = 0.04). The adjusted closure rate was > 95% across all hole sizes in the ILM-F group, while only falling below 90% for X-large + holes (> 550 μm) in the ILM-P group. No significant difference in BCVA gain was observed between the two groups at 3 months (p = 0.08). The effects of ILM-F compared to ILM-P were consistent across all hole sizes. Although the ILM-F technique was more effective in idiopathic FTMH closure, visual acuity outcomes were comparable to conventional ILM peeling. These findings suggest that ILM-F is not required for the treatment of small and medium FTMHs.

BackgroundDue to the lack of quality-controlled quantitative data on meibomian gland (MG) morphology in children and adolescents, this study aims to establish a Children and Adolescents Meibomian Gland (CAMG) dataset.MethodsA total of 1114 quality-controlled upper eyelid infrared images were collected from 730 children and adolescent subjects using the Oculus Keratograph 5 M. Images underwent preprocessing and multi-stage expert quality control screening before segmentation. Morphological parameters including gland area, gland dropout ratio, gland length and width, number of glands, and total glands ratio were extracted using an AI model. The dataset, comprising images, annotations, and demographic information, is openly accessible on Figshare, with AI model codes available on GitHub to support research reproducibility and algorithm optimization.ResultsThe dataset includes 1114 high-resolution quality-controlled upper eyelid images from 730 subjects (mean age 11.80 ± 2.39 years; 46.77% male), accompanied by AI-assisted segmentation annotations and corresponding morphological measurements. The U-Net segmentation model achieved an accuracy of 97.49%, a Dice coefficient of 89.72%, and an intersection over union (IoU) of 81.67%. Quantitative analysis revealed that MG parameters remained relatively stable in adolescents compared to children. Females exhibited significantly wider and larger MGs than males. Similar sex-related differences were also observed in the central five MGs. Males exhibited a higher MG count compared to females.ConclusionsCAMG is a publicly available MG dataset for children and adolescents to support AI-based individualized clinical assessments. The dataset's transparent quality control processes establish a foundation for epidemiological research, promoting cross-institutional collaboration and AI-driven advancements in ophthalmology.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40662-025-00460-2.