5^th International Conference on Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology August 04-06, 2015 Valencia, Spain

Eye is composed of very sensitive and fragile tissues and every part of an eye serves its own function to maintain its normal vision. The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. The cornea, with the anterior chamber and lens, refracts light, with the cornea accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. But factors such as corneal ulceration, epithelial keratitis & drug-induced epithelial keratitis, corneal regeneration, recurrent corneal erosion and miscellaneous corneal disorders can affect the cornea and ultimately lead to the external eye disease that could end up with permanent blindness. Hence Investigation of corneal disease is carry out to mitigate the disease and methods like Contact lenses & vision correction is also use to cure the vision related problems and surgical procedure like corneal transplantation is used to transplant the cornea. According to international council of ophthalmology 2012 report there were 206,812 practicing ophthalmologists around the world and there are approximately 23,861 ophthalmologists in the United States, as per the records of American Medical Association. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 285 million individuals suffering from visual impairment, with 65% over 50 years of age. Out of these sufferers, the majority - or 246 million - has low vision and another 39 million people are blind, with 82% more than 50 years old. In the US alone, eye disease is predicted to affect at least 50 million people within 15 years, and cases of impaired vision and blindness should double by 2040. Research institute like Stanford College of medicine is working on the cornea and external ocular disease.

Glaucoma is a multifactorial optic neuropathy that affects more than 50 million people and is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. The role of intra ocular pressure (IOP) has been well documented as a major modifiable risk factor for glaucoma. Additionally, many glaucoma patients have a relatively low IOP, while some healthy individuals have a relatively high IOP. The disorders can be roughly divided into two main categories, open-angle glaucoma and closed-angle glaucoma. Impaired ocular blood flow regulation in open angle glaucoma as a risk of glaucoma has also been well established, especially over the past two decades. Pathophysiology of glaucoma indicates towards the increased in intraocular pressure which compresses and damages the optic nerve. Once the optic nerve is damaged, it fails to carry visual information to the brain and this result in loss of vision. The exact pathophysiology of glaucoma contributing to this is yet to be determined. Biomarkers for glaucoma have predictive use that could help and guide more specific therapy in some glaucoma patients. Endothelin in glaucoma treatment play a very key role in pathogenesis of glaucoma. Glaucoma accounts for over 10 million visits to physicians each year. In terms of Social Security benefits, lost income tax revenues, and health care expenditures, the cost to the U.S. government is estimated to be over $1.5 billion annually. The Glaucoma Research Society of Canada is the only Canadian non-profit organization solely dedicated to funding glaucoma research. Since 1989, it has raised more than two million dollars in support of 150 research projects. The Society funds 10 to 15% of all independent glaucoma research in Canada. Bascom Palmer and Wills Eye are the top researcher organization for glaucoma.

Neuro-ophthalmology is the incorporation of neurology and ophthalmology, often dealing with complex systemic diseases that have manifestations in the visual system. Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) includes all visual dysfunctions caused by damage to, or malfunctioning of, the retrochiasmatic visual pathways in the absence of damage to the anterior visual pathways or any major ocular disease. Myasthenia gravis is caused by a breakdown in the normal communication between nerves and muscles which leads to double vision, drooping eyelids and other muscles weakness which effecting the both i.e. neuromuscular activity and also vision. On the other hand nystagmus which is involuntary eye movement acquired in infancy or later in life that may result in reduced or limited vision. Factors like cerebral macular degeneration and chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia also the major effecting part of neuro-ophthalmology. Diagnostic tools in neuro-ophthalmology are used to investigate and to treat the various condition of neuro-ophthalmology as Neonatal ocular examination are primarily performed to monitor the presence and progression of Retinopathy of Prematurity. University of Pennsylvania is currently working on neuro-ophthalmology project.

Many of the viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi that can invade the human body are also capable of attacking the surface or interior of the eye. The natural tendency for immunologic disease to affect the eye derives from a number of factors such as Antibody-dependent & antibody-mediated diseases, Uveitis, intraocular inflammation and Cell-mediated diseases. The immune system plays a critical role during transplantation and as the corneal transplantation has become increasingly common since the 1960s and over 40,000 transplants were performed in 1990 in the United States and Canada. The 5-year failure rate for corneal grafts is approximately 35%; corneal graft rejection is the most common cause of graft failure in the late postoperative period but with the recent development in immunotherapy can be a breakthrough to overcome from all the limitations of the conventional procedures. The microbiological infection such as fungal endophthalmitis can affect the vitreous and anterior chamber of the eye and hence the uses of antibiotic in ocular infections have been increased to overcome these conditions. The consumables, equipment and technology markets in the microbiology industry totaled nearly $7.7 billion in 2012. This total is expected to grow from $8.5 billion in 2013 to $11.4 billion in 2018, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1% for the five-year period, 2013 to 2018.

Translational Ophthalmology is a latest trend that bridges the gap by achieving breakthrough discoveries to patients faster than ever. Translational Research is a new initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which aims to translate basic research into more advanced form to yield the better results. The research trend discoveries maximize the opportunities to investigate the issues very minutely to decrease the risk of failure especially during surgical procedure like cataract and refractive surgery. The American Health Assistance Foundation, dedicated to eradicating age-related degenerative diseases, estimates that up to 11 million people in the United States have some form of AMD — a number expected to double by 2050. Estimates of the global cost of visual impairment AMD causes are $343 billion, including $255 billion in direct health care costs, according to the foundation.

Systems to deliver medication predictably over time are not new to Ophthalmology. The novel research refers to approaches, formulations, technologies and systems to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. The average gross charges for ophthalmology cases performed in the ASC (Ambulatory Surgery Center) are $5,385.

Advances in ophthalmic drug delivery systems such as Punctal Plugs, Ocular Therapeutix,Mati therapeutics (QLT) and gel-forming drops can be breakthrough in ophthalmic research and advance drug delivery system to maximize the therapeutic effect of a particular drug. Topical combination of corticosteroid & anti-infective agents, Drugs used in the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, Oral & topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) and Retinoblastoma chemotherapy are few developed formulation to treat ophthalmic diseases. Companies like Allergan, Pfizer, Bausch + Lomb, Merck & Co. and Regeneron are actively participated in ophthalmic research and drug development. According to visiongain (Ophthalmic Drugs: World Market Prospects - 2013-2023; October 2013), the worldwide ophthalmic market was $17.5 billion in 2011 and is expected to grow to $34.7 billion by 2023, representing a 5.9% compounded annual growth rate.