VOA慢速英语: 细针治疗眼部疾病

细针治疗眼部疾病

A microneedle used to inject glaucoma medications into the eye is shown next to a conventional hypodermic needle. (Georgia Tech Photo: Gary Meek)

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness around the world. In the United States alone, more than two million people suffer from the disease.

青光眼是世界导致失明的第二大原因。仅仅在美国，就有200多万人受这个疾病折磨。

Glaucoma results from an over-production of fluid in the eye. The buildup of fluid causes uncomfortable pressure in the eye socket, which can lead to blindness.

青光眼是因为眼中的房水（房水为无色透明的液体，属于组织液的一种，充满前后房，约有0.15～0.3ml，它含有营养，可维持眼内压力。）分泌过多，房水的积累会给眼窝造成压力，使其不舒服，而且还会导致失明。

Glaucoma can be controlled with eye drops that either reduce the fluid, increase the flow of tears from the eye or both. But studies show only 56 percent of patients use the drops every day. If doctors need to inject medicine into the eye for other conditions, they generally use a hypodermic needle. But that can cause a painful or uneasy feeling in some patients.

青光眼可以通过滴眼液减少房水，使眼泪增多。但是研究发现只有56%的病人每天使用滴眼液。如果因为其它情况，医生需要往眼中注射药物的话，他们通常会使用皮下注射针。但是注射的话会有点疼或者给一些病人带来不舒服的感觉。

Now, researchers are developing very small needles that may offer a more effective and painless treatment for glaucoma and other eye diseases. The needles are only about point-four to point-seven millimeters long. These instruments, called microneedles, can put medication into the front of the eye, exactly where it is needed. Its developers say injections of time-release drugs every three to six months could replace daily glaucoma eye drops.

现在，研究者正在研发一种微型针，这种针可以更有效地治疗病人的青光眼和其它一些眼部疾病。这种针只有0.4——0.7毫米长。这些治疗工具叫做微型针，可以把药物注射到眼里真正需要的地方。研发者称每3-6个月注射这种随时间发挥药效的药可以取代每天往眼里滴药水。

Mark Prausnitz is director of the Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He helped develop the microneedles in a joint project with researchers at Emory University. He says the tiny needles are a better way to deliver medicine than an eye dropper.

马克·普劳斯尼茨是乔治亚科技研究所药物设计、研发、输送中心的主任。他与艾莫利大学的研究员一起参与微型针研发项目。他说微型针比要药水能够更有效的往眼中输送药物。

“What the microneedle enables is a very targeted delivery, to put the drug just in the spot where it needs to be within the eye so that the drug is as effective and potent as possible where the drug needs to act. And the drug doesn’t go to other places in the eye where it can cause side effects.”

“微型针能够更明确药物的目标，能够把药物送到眼中需要的地方，这样药物能有效发挥作用。而且药物不会引起眼中其它部位的副作用。”

Being able to target the drug means that less medicine is needed. The microneedles are either hollow or empty, like a normal hypodermic needle, or covered with a drug which breaks down in the eye.

药物能够直接输送到眼部需要的地方，这就是说不用那么多的药。微型针不是中空或者空的，它就像注射针头或者包裹着药，而药物在眼中分解。

Researchers tested the treatment on mice. Mark Prausnitz says the microneedles were successful in treating both glaucoma and the growth of unwanted blood vessels around the cornea. The condition is called corneal neovascularization.

研究者在老鼠身上进行治疗试验。马克·普劳斯尼茨称微型针能够有效治疗青光眼和眼角膜周围有害的血管生长，这种情况叫做眼角膜新血管形成。

“One was a glaucoma drug where we were able to control the pressure inside of the eye. The other was a drug that stops blood vessel growth. And so when there was abnormal blood vessel growth going into the cornea due to an injury, we were able to administer that drug and suppress the blood vessel growth.”

“一种青光眼药能够控制眼中的高眼压，另一种药能够阻止血管的扩张。所以，什么时候眼角膜出现不正常的血管生长就会对眼睛造成伤害，我们能够提供压制血管生长的药物。”

Dr. Prausnitz says some people may find the microneedles uncomfortable despite their size. But he says an anesthetic drug could be used so that a patient does not feel any pain.

普劳斯尼茨说尽管微型针很小，但是一些人还是觉得不舒服。不过他说治疗时会使用麻药，这样病人就不会感觉到疼痛。

The solid needle for treatment of glaucoma is still being tested.

这种治疗青光眼的微型针仍在测试中。

A report on the needle technology was published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

关于这项微型针技术的报告发表在《眼科学研究和视力学》期刊上。

I’m Jonathan Evans.

我是乔纳森·伊凡斯。

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Words in This Story

anesthetic – n. a drug that causes a person to lose feeling and to feel no painin part or all of the body

cornea – n. the clear outer covering of the eyeball

fluid – n. any substance that can flow, such as a liquid

hypodermic needle - n. a thin, hollow needle used for giving people injections

socket – n. a hollow part in a bone that holds an eye, a tooth, or another bone