A form of PDT 'promising' in PCO prevention, lab study finds

EDEGEM, Belgium — A type of photodynamic therapy may be a promising means of preventing posterior capsular opacification, animal studies here suggest. A study in albino rabbits found that the treatment induced epithelial cell death, but it had negative effects that must be overcome if the treatment is to be useful.

Because PDT with bacteriochlorin a (BCA) has proven cytocidal for lens epithelial cells in culture, researchers here with University Hospital of Antwerp studied its effectiveness for destroying LECs in the capsular bag, as a possible prophylaxis against posterior capsular opacification.

Nine albino rabbits underwent bilateral extracapsular lens extraction by phacoemulsification. One eye of each animal received an injection of BCA followed by illumination with a 760-nm diode laser. The other eyes served as controls.

In the control capsular bags, extensive proliferation of LECs and a formation of a complete Soemmering’s ring was found 6 weeks later. The PDT-treated capsular bags had markedly diminished LEC proliferation and an incomplete, irregular and much thinner Soemmering’s ring.

However, the corneas of the PDT treated eyes were opaque and swollen and had lost their endothelial linings.

The study is published in Ophthalmic Research.