Volume 10, Number 1 • January/February 2002 • Advanced Technologies

Searching the Eyes for Answers

As a result of Dr. Rafat Ansari’s microgravity research work at NASA Glenn Research Center concerning the long-term effects of space exploration on astronauts, eyes may soon yield diagnoses of a wide range of diseases long before the symptoms appear.

The research has advanced the development of ophthalmic instruments used to detect early signs of eye diseases such as uveitis (eye inflammation), cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The instruments could possibly be used to detect Alzheimer’s disease as well. Manual B. Datiles, III, at the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has completed the first phase of clinical testing for detecting cataracts using the advancement. It is also being used to evaluate corneal abnormalities before and after popular corneal surgeries known as laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

The technique deals with the characterization of proteins under microgravity conditions in outer space—proteins in the eye that ultimately lead to disease. The microgravity research that led to this discovery employs dynamic light scattering (DLS) principles. These DLS techniques can characterize protein solutions and crystallization processes in various types of fluids while aboard the space shuttle. This effort led to the production of a new miniaturized imaging probe.

“Space Vision” goggles developed by Dr. Rafat Ansari could be used by doctors to remotely monitor the health of the eyes. Photo provided by Glenn Research Center .

The DLS probe does not require zero-gravity conditions to work and can be used to detect cataracts earlier than the techniques currently in use. By identifying eye problems at the molecular level, the probe can detect the early onset of eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and radiation damage. Blood sugar and cholesterol levels also can be monitored without taking blood samples.

Cataracts, AMD and Alzheimer’s disease primarily affect people throughout the world over the age of 60. Cata-racts are the gradual formation of protein clumps that eventually cloud the lens of the eye. Protein deposits called amyloids are present in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. With the adaptation of DLS techniques, physicians will be able to look into the lens, cornea, aqueous, retina and vitreous of an eye for amyloid protein. Alzheimer’s disease is currently identified by examining brain tissue for amyloid proteins during autopsy. Detecting the disease in early stages may lead to treatment with anti-inflammatories, anti-oxidants or hormone replacement therapies. The possibility of early detection is unmatched by any other clinical technique currently being used. Q

For more information, contact Rafat R. Ansari, PhD, at NASA Glenn Research Center, 216/433-5008, Rafat.R.Ansari@grc.nasa.gov. Please mention you read about it in Innovation.

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