The Ophthalmic Biomaterials Special Interest Group (SIG) met on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, to offer a webinar featuring a research talk from Carlisle DeJulius titled, "Antioxidant Microparticles for Intravitreal Delivery of Erythropoietin".

The following is a synopsis, "Antioxidant treatment strategies have shown promise for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including glaucoma. In this work, we packaged the protein erythropoietin (EPO), a pleiotropic cytokine which has been shown to upregulate antioxidant protein expression, into sustained-release microparticles (MPs) formulated from a ROS-scavenging, semicrystalline polysulfide polymer. When injected intravitreally in a mouse model of glaucoma, the EPO MPs significantly reduced retinal ROS levels and sustained EPO delivery for at least 6 weeks. Additionally, treatment with EPO MPs significantly improved the function of bipolar cells, retinal ganglion cells, and the optic nerve measured by ERG and VEP tests." 

The recording can also be accessed directly here.