Joint Research Results Published in the International Journal 'Scientific Reports'

The results of joint research conducted by Epistra, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yosuke Ozawa) and Kobe City Eye Center Hospital have been published in Scientific Reports.

Motozawa N, Miura T, Ochiai K, Yamamoto M, Horinouchi T, Tsuzuki T, Kanda GN, Ozawa Y, Tsujikawa A, Takahashi K, Takahashi M, Kurimoto Y, Maeda T, Mandai M., Automated evaluation of retinal pigment epithelium disease area in eyes with age-related macular degeneration, Scientific Reports volume 12, Article number: 892 (2022)

Paper link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-05006-3

Paper Summary

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a cell layer essential for the survival and function of photoreceptor cells in the retina. RPE dysfunction causes various retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Clinical studies on ES/iPS cell-derived RPE transplantation for diseases triggered by RPE dysfunction are currently underway. Quantification of diseased RPE area is important for evaluating disease progression and the therapeutic efficacy of RPE transplantation, but no standardized protocol currently exists.

We therefore developed software that uses deep learning to analyze hyperfluorescent regions in early-phase fluorescein angiography (FA) images, enabling objective and efficient quantification of changes in RPE disease areas. The software we developed has potential applications in quantifying temporal changes in RPE disease areas, evaluating iPSC-RPE transplant images, and assessing diseases beyond AMD. It is expected to contribute to clinical evaluation of RPE disease area progression in routine practice and reduce the burden on researchers.

This research was published on January 18, 2022, in “Scientific Reports,” an international academic journal published by Nature Research.