Due to our aging population and the prevalence of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), there is great need for a reproducible model for translational research. On March 8, 2016, InsideScientific hosted a webinar sponsored by Phoenix Research Labs on the development of a Choroidal Neovascularization (CNV) model of AMD by speaker Yan Gong, PhD and a team at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Gong describes the process for achieving choroidal neovascularization in mice in detail, from proper mouse selection and image-guided optical coherence tomography to RNA and protein extraction and data analysis.

Dr. Gong also discusses how to achieve consistent lesions using image-guided laser, the use of Fundus Fluorescein Angiography to determine leakage, and a set of guidelines to optimize the process using the Phoenix Micron IV platform.

This webinar is an excellent resource for any researcher studying AMD that has considered using the CNV model in their lab.

Follow the links below to access key educational points from the webinar…

Dr. Yan Gong

  • 02.41  Age-Related Macular Degeneration
  • 07:48 Ways to Produce Laser Burns in mice
  • 09:10 Research experience with even focus for laser photocoagulation (problems and solutions)
  • 12:05 Laser burns positioning on mouse eye
  • 13:15 Vaporization Bubble (with video)
  • 14:11 Laser Leakage and errors (FFS & Choroid Flat-Mounts)
  • 15:00 Examples of situations with data or loss of mice
  • 16:43 Exclusion Criteria and stages of exclusion
  • 19:41 Determining laser power
  • 20:53 Effects of mouse age and gender on research
  • 21:44 Effects of deadly intake of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fat in mice

Q&A

  • 24:02  Is there an optimal age for inducing CNV model in mice?
  • 24:53  How are you evaluating the CNV with OCT model?
  • 26:32  Does the laser spot size affect the CNV formation?
  • 27:31  Have you (Dr. Gong) tried ERG analysis on the laser lesions?
  • 28:20  Is breaking all of the retinal layers important to CNV formation?
  • 29:38  What is the size of the laser spot on the Micron III, and is it different from the Micron IV?
  • 30:25  How do you statistically analyze the FFA images?
  • 32:20  How has the Micron IV translated for other animal models?
  • 33:53  at the time of this webinar What is Dr. Gong’s next set of experiments using the Micron technologies?